Lesson 37 of 50 · 褒められます・盗まれます · みんなの日本語 第37課 · N4

Story voice: 〜 N3–N2 Japanese — above this lesson’s level, on purpose. Your target is the Key Sentences.

Episode 37: On the Receiving End

Mini Story

This episode is a little longer — the passive is where the viewpoint flips, and that takes practice.

A spy lives on the receiving end of the world. Sometimes, that is a rare word of praise from above.间谍活在世界的承受端。有时候，那是上面难得的一句夸奖。間諜活在世界的承受端。有時候，那是上面難得的一句誇獎。Điệp viên sống ở đầu nhận của thế giới. Đôi khi, đó là một lời khen hiếm hoi từ cấp trên.
スパイは、世界せかいsekaiの受うuける側がわgawaに生いiきる。時ときtokiには、上うえueからの珍めずらmezuraしい一言ひとことhitokotoの褒ほhoめ言葉ことばkotoba。

More often, it is being watched, being doubted, being hunted.更多的时候，是被看、被怀疑、被追。更多的時候，是被看、被懷疑、被追。Thường hơn, đó là bị nhìn, bị nghi, bị săn đuổi.
より多おおooくは、見みmiられ、疑うたがutagaわれ、追おoわれること。

And having things taken — sometimes, the thing that mattered most.还有，东西被夺走——有时候，是最重要的那一件。還有，東西被奪走——有時候，是最重要的那一件。Và bị lấy mất — đôi khi, chính là thứ quan trọng nhất.
そして、物ものmonoを奪うばubaわれる ── 時ときtokiには、最もっとmottoも大切たいせつtaisetsuな ものを。

Even the sky turns its back on him.连天空，都背弃他。連天空，都背棄他。Đến cả bầu trời cũng quay lưng với anh.
空そらsoraさえ、彼かれkareに背そむsomuく。

The building where it all began will be torn down next month — the evidence, erased.一切开始的那栋楼，下个月就要被拆掉——证据，被抹去。一切開始的那棟樓，下個月就要被拆掉——證據，被抹去。Toà nhà nơi mọi chuyện bắt đầu, tháng sau sẽ bị phá — chứng cứ, bị xoá.
始はじhajiまりの建物たてものtatemonoは、来月らいげつraigetsu壊こわkowaされる ── 証拠しょうこshoukoは消けkeされる。

That is the spy’s unchanging truth — always, by someone, watched.这就是间谍不变的真相——永远，被某个人，盯着。這就是間諜不變的真相——永遠，被某個人，盯著。Đó là sự thật không đổi của điệp viên — lúc nào cũng vậy, bị ai đó, theo dõi.
それが スパイの変かkaわらぬ真実しんじつshinjitsu ── いつも、誰だれdareかに、見張みはmihaられている。

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Key Sentences

1. 直接受身ちょくせつうけみchokusetsuukemi (was praised by someone)

受身うけみukemi: passive — the sentence turns around to face the person it happened to.

2. 直接受身ちょくせつうけみchokusetsuukemi・継続けいぞくkeizoku (is being suspected)

3. 被害ひがいhigaiの受身うけみukemi (had something stolen)

4. 迷惑めいわくmeiwakuの受身うけみukemi (got rained on — adversity)

5. 物ものmonoの受身うけみukemi (the building will be demolished)

6. 直接受身ちょくせつうけみchokusetsuukemi・継続けいぞくkeizoku (is always being watched)

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Practice out loud

Say the answer before you look. The same sentences you just read — now from your own mouth.

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Vocabulary

日本語	English	简体	繁體	Tiếng Việt
受身うけみukemi（うけみ） マイクは 部長ぶちょうbuchouに 褒ほhoめられました。	passive form Mike was praised by the manager.	被动 麦克被部长表扬了。	被動 麥克被部長稱讚了。	thể bị động Mike được trưởng phòng khen.
〜に（受身うけみukemi） だれかに 書類しょるいshoruiを 盗ぬすnusuまれました。	by (the agent) My documents were stolen by someone.	被… 文件被人偷了。	被… 文件被人偷了。	bởi Giấy tờ bị ai đó lấy trộm.
褒ほhoめられます いい 写真しゃしんshashinだと 褒ほhoめられました。	to be praised (← 褒める) I was told my photos were good.	被表扬 有人夸我照片拍得好。	被表揚 有人誇我照片拍得好。	được khen Tôi được khen là ảnh chụp đẹp.
疑うたがutagaわれます マイクは 敵てきtekiに 疑うたがutagaわれて います。	to be suspected (← 疑う) Mike is suspected by the enemy.	被怀疑 麦克正被敌人怀疑。	被懷疑 麥克正被敵人懷疑。	bị nghi ngờ Mike đang bị kẻ địch nghi ngờ.
盗ぬすnusuまれます 大切たいせつtaisetsuな 鍵かぎkagiを 盗ぬすnusuまれました。	to be stolen (← 盗む) My important key was stolen.	被偷 重要的钥匙被偷了。	被偷 重要的鑰匙被偷了。	bị trộm Chiếc chìa khóa quan trọng đã bị lấy trộm.
降ふfuられます 途中とちゅうtochuuで 雨あめameに 降ふfuられました。	to be rained on (← 降る) I got caught in the rain on the way.	被（雨）淋 半路上被雨淋了。	被（雨）淋 半路上被雨淋了。	bị mưa (ướt) Giữa đường tôi bị mắc mưa.
壊こわkowaされます この ビルは 来月らいげつraigetsu 壊こわkowaされます。	to be destroyed (← 壊す) This building will be torn down next month.	被拆/破坏 这栋楼下个月要被拆掉。	被拆/破壞 這棟樓下個月要被拆掉。	bị phá Toà nhà này tháng sau sẽ bị phá.
見張みはmihaられます いつも だれかに 見張みはmihaられて います。	to be watched (← 見張る) I'm always being watched by someone.	被监视 总是被什么人盯着。	被監視 總是被什麼人盯著。	bị theo dõi Lúc nào cũng bị ai đó theo dõi.

Practice these words →

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Grammar Patterns

Grammar Picture

• 目標文型this lesson’s pattern这一课的句型這一課的句型mẫu câu của bài này
• 名詞noun名词danh từ
• 述語sentence ending句尾句尾phần cuối câu

★ The big idea — whose viewpoint?

Passive tells the story from the receiver's side. Same event, two views: 「先生せんせいsenseiが ほめる」 (teacher praises) vs 「私わたしwatashiは 先生せんせいsenseiに ほめられる」 (I am praised by the teacher). The doer becomes に.

★ 迷惑めいわくmeiwakuの受身うけみukemi — the "suffering" passive

Uniquely Japanese: even when no one targets you, you can use passive to show you were troubled.

• 雨あめameに 降ふfuられました。= I got rained on (and it was a problem).
• 子こkoどもに 泣なnaかれました。= The child cried on me (to my distress).

★ Possessor's passive — 〜に 〜を 〜（ら）れる

When something of yours is acted on: 「(私わたしwatashiは) だれかに 書類しょるいshoruiを 盗ぬすnusuまれました」 = I had my documents stolen. You (は) + doer (に) + thing (を) + passive verb.

視点転換してんてんかんshitentenkan ── active → passive (the core)

する側 (active)	→ される側 (passive)
部長ぶちょうbuchouが マイクを 褒ほhoめる	マイクは 部長ぶちょうbuchouに 褒ほhoめられる
敵てきtekiが マイクを 疑うたがutagaう	マイクは 敵てきtekiに 疑うたがutagaわれる
誰だれdareかが 書類しょるいshoruiを 盗ぬすnusuむ	(マイクは) 書類しょるいshoruiを 盗ぬすnusuまれる
雨あめameが 降ふfuる	(マイクは) 雨あめameに 降ふfuられる
誰だれdareかが ビルを 壊こわkowaす	ビルが 壊こわkowaされる

受身うけみukemi＝「される側がわgawa」 から世界せかいsekaiを語かたkataり直なおnaoす。マイクは追おoう側がわgawaであり、同時どうじdoujiに 追おoわれ・疑うたがutagaわれ・見張みはmihaられる側がわgawaでもある ── それが受身うけみukemiのドラマ。

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Roleplay Practice

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How do you say this in Japanese?

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How to Use This Lesson

For Self-Study (45-50 minutes)

1. Read Grammar Patterns (8 min) — passive forms by group; the に agent; suffering passive.
2. Study the 視点転換してんてんかんshitentenkan table (5 min) — feel the viewpoint flip.
3. Practice Key Sentences (12 min) — all six types.
4. Learn Vocabulary (10 min).
5. Read Mini Story (5 min) — On the Receiving End.
6. Roleplay + Review tomorrow.

For Teachers (click to expand)

For Teachers (45-60 minutes in class)

• Why thick? Passive demands a viewpoint flip plus a new form — a classic stumbling point. Budget extra time.
• Form drill (15 min): conjugate to passive by group; drill する→される, 来くkuる→来こkoられる.
• Viewpoint flip (10 min): convert active↔passive with the 視点転換してんてんかんshitentenkan table; stress doer→に.
• Suffering passive (10 min): 雨あめameに降ふfuられる, 泣なnaかれる — the affected-person nuance — the sentence says who it happened to.
• Roleplay (15 min): report misfortunes (something stolen, watched, rained on).

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