This lesson introduces the passive verb form.
Morphology
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The passive verb form
The imperative form of Japanese of verbs is constructed differently depending on whether the verb is a -ru, -u or irregular verb.
Structures
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[N(experiencer)]は/が [N(actor2)]に [V(passive)]
When one person (the actor) acts directly on another person (the experiencer), the sentence can be recast from the experiencer’s point of view using a passive verb.
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[N(recipient)]は/が [N(actor)]に [N(object)]を [V(passive)]
When one person (the actor) acts directly on an object and this action affects the another person (the experiencer), the sentence can be recast from the recipient’s point of view using a passive verb.