So I was just reviewing passive form 受け身 and was watching this video https://youtu.be/FfI42u96GF8 about the indirect passive 間接受け身 and have a few questions about it.
Oh and I apologize for asking the question in a most complicated way but I can’t think of an easy(ier) way.
1) If I understood it correctly this way of using the passive is only/mostly used when there is a negative meaning associated with it. Like an annoyance or a hindrance, etc. right?
So could you say （わたしは）レストランに赤ちゃんにずっと泣かれて、迷惑でした。Since the baby crying in the restaurant was an annoyance.
2) Second question is maybe a bit weird but how commonly is this indirect passive used in everyday life? Is it used often/commonly in or would the non passive/active form be used more often.
Taking an example of the video 隣の人に大声で話されて、迷惑だした。
So in real life would this, the passive sentence sound more natural or would 隣の人が大声で話しました。迷惑でした。an active sentence sound more natural. Which version active or passive is the prefered version to use?
3) Would these attempts use the indirect passive correctly?
a) 今朝バスに女に私と友達の会話を聞かれました。
b) ああ、昨日はひどい日だった。犬と公園を散歩していて、急に雪に降られた。
2 comments
1. No. Indirect passive is not more than a basic passive. The sense of vulnerability is share by combinations of intransitive verbs and に as a marker for the causer including passive. Also, レストランに is wrong. レストランで is correct.
2. It’s common **because it’s the more straightforward way** to connect clauses with different agents. e.g. 名前を呼ばれたら手を上げてください can keep the same subject between the conditional and the main clauses while 名前を呼んだら手を上げて can technically mean to raise your hand after calling someone’s name besides being called.
3. a) バスで is correct. 友達との会話 is better than 私と友達の会話. Use of passive itself is fine and natural. b) It’s grammatically fine while not really naturally composed. If you use the form of 降られた, it’s more likely to appear in composition like …ひどい日だった。…散歩してて…降られたし. The point is that you can keep yourself as the subject in the inverted sub clause. Otherwise, it’s more natural to compose as …散歩してたら急に雪が降ってきた.
This is one of those grammar points that you should be aware of, but don’t tie yourself in knots if you don’t completely understand how to use it yet. Just listen to things, read things. You’ll see it pop up enough that one day it’ll just click.
There are some grammar points that you should really make sure to master before moving on. This is not one of them. As long as you known that “passive sometimes has the connotation of ‘I have been wronged,'” then you’re good to go. As you get more exposure to the language, you’ll gain a better feeling for what situations its used in