Passive Sentence in English
A passive sentence has the following two traits:
- The subject does not perform the action of the verb.
- The action of the verb is done to the subject.
Cakes are made by my mother.
Note: The subject (cakes) does not perform the action of the verb (make), which is done to the subject.
The house was built by my father.
Note: The subject (house) did not perform the action of the verb (build), which was done to the subject.
English is spoken in many countries.
Note: The subject (English) does not perform the action of the verb (speak), which is done to the subject.
Passive Form
Passive Form is needed to make a passive sentence in Japanese.
Click here to learn how to make Passive Form.
Make a passive sentence in Japanese
This is how you translate the three sentences at the top of this page into Japanese.
‘by’ is によって.
The words in brackets are Plain Passive Form.
Cakes are made by my mother.
ケーキは母によって作られます（作られる）。
The house was built by my father.
その家は父によってたてられました（たてられた）。
English is spoken in many countries.
英語はたくさんの国ではなされます（はなされる）。
Exercise
Task: Change into Japanese, using Polite Passive Form.
- The book was written by me.
- The meal was made by my younger sister.
- I was seen by the boy.
- The olympic was held in Brazil. (hold: おこなう)
- The next olympic will be held in Tokyo. (‘will be held’ is the same as ‘is held’ in Japanese. Click here for more details.)
- A boy was killed by a man at a park yesterday.
- その本（ほん）は私によって書（か）かれました。
- その食事（しょくじ）は妹（いもうと）によって作（つく）られました。
- 私はその男（おとこ）の子（こ）によって見（み）られました。
- オリンピックはブラジルでおこなわれました。
- つぎのオリンピックは東京（とうきょう）でおこなわれます。
- 男（おとこ）の子（こ）はきのうこうえんで男（おとこ）によってころされました。
Exercise 2
Task: Change into Japanese.
- Fish are eaten by many people in Japan.
- Two people were killed by a man.
- I was chosen to be a school captain.
- This book was written 100 years ago.
- 魚は日本でたくさんの人々によって食べられています。
- 二人が男によってころされました。
- 私はせいとかいちょうにえらばれました。
- この本は百年前に書かれました。
Task: Change into English.
- つぎのミーティングは日曜日にひらかれます。
- そのざっしはせかい中のたくさんの人々によって読まれます。
- 私は学校でいじめられました。
- そのドレスは一年中着られます。
- The next meeting will be held on Sunday.
- The magazine is read by many people around the world.
- I was bullied at school.
- The dress is worn through the year.