Mastering the passive forms in Japanese can really improve how you communicate.

Using the passive voice changes the focus of your sentences. It puts more attention on who or what is affected by the action rather than on who does the action. This shift can help you express feelings like sympathy or helplessness.

EXAMPLE #1: BASIC PASSIVE FORM
The basic passive form is made by changing verbs. For example, the verb "食べる" (taberu - to eat) turns into "食べられる" (taberaru - is eaten).

If you say, “彼は私に食べられた” (Kare wa watashi ni taberareta - I was eaten by him), the focus is on you, the person being affected, instead of him.

EXAMPLE #2: CAUSATIVE PASSIVE FORM
Next is the causative passive. This combines two forms: causative and passive.

For the verb "見る" (miru - to see), the causative form is "見させる" (misaseru - to make someone see) and the passive form is "見させられる" (misaserareru - to be made to see).

When you say, "彼は私に映画を見させられた" (Kare wa watashi ni eiga o misasareta - I was made to watch a movie by him), it shows that you were forced to do something, giving your sentence a deeper meaning.

USAGE TIPS
When you use passive forms in your conversations, think about what you want to express.

If you want to show that you feel helpless or that something is happening to you, use the basic passive form.

If you want to suggest that someone is pushing or forcing you to do something, the causative passive is the way to go.

Try using these forms in real-life situations to see how they can change your conversations!