Like the potential, every passive verb becomes an Ichidan verb (it ends in れる / られる), so it conjugates onward like a normal Ichidan: 言いわれる → 言いわれない, 言いわれた, 言いわれます.

Ichidan (Group 2)

Drop the final る and add られる.

Rule Examples
る → られる 食たべる → 食たべられる, 見みる → 見みられる


Note that for Ichidan verbs the passive and the potential look identical (both 食べられる). Which one is meant is decided by context and the particles around it.

Godan (Group 1)

Change the final -u syllable to its -a counterpart, then add れる (the 1st stem + れる).

Dictionary ending Becomes Example
く かれる 書かく → 書かかれる
ぐ がれる 泳およぐ → 泳およがれる
す される 話はなす → 話はなされる
つ たれる 待まつ → 待またれる
ぬ なれる 死しぬ → 死しなれる
ぶ ばれる 遊あそぶ → 遊あそばれる
む まれる 飲のむ → 飲のまれる
る られる 取とる → 取とられる
う われる 言いう → 言いわれる


As with the negative, う-ending verbs go to わ, not あ: 言いう → 言いわれる, 買かう → 買かわれる.

Irregular (Group 3)

Verb Passive
する される
来くる 来こられる

Particles and the suffering passive

In a passive sentence the doer of the action is marked with に. Compare:


先生せんせいが私わたしを褒ほめた - the teacher praised me (active)
私わたしは先生せんせいに褒ほめられた - I was praised by the teacher (passive)


Japanese also has a “suffering passive” (迷惑めいわくの受身うけみ), used when an action negatively affects someone - even with verbs that have no object in English. For example 雨あめに降ふられた literally means “I was rained on”, i.e. the rain inconvenienced me.


One more thing to know: the られる ending is also used to make honorific (respectful) speech. 社長しゃちょうが来こられた can mean “the president came” (respectful), not “was come”. Context tells them apart.

What it is used for

Example Meaning
この本ほんは多おおくの人ひとに読よまれている this book is read by many people
蚊かに刺さされた I was bitten by a mosquito
財布さいふを盗ぬすまれた I had my wallet stolen
友達ともだちに笑わらわれた I was laughed at by my friend


Want verbs to practise on? Try the common Godan verb lists and the 100 common Ichidan verbs.