られる？

[Fiducio]

I see it quite often, but i have no idea what it means, and it conjugates like any other verb.. but I can't find it's meaning anywhere. All of my old text books, and searching online. Nothing...

So, what does 「られる」mean?

[metablue]

I'm totally guessing, but could it be the ending that means "to have something done to you and be adversely affected by it"?

I'm guessing from the results of the nihongoresources.com search. There's a lot, but there's an interesting kind of pattern in there.


と考えられる [とかんがえられる] [tokangaerareru] - (exp) one can think that .., it is conceivable that ...
噂を立てられる [うわさをたてられる] [uwasawotaterareru] - (exp) to be gossiped about.
気を取られる [きをとられる] [kiwotorareru] - (v1) to have one's attention attracted (caught), to be preoccupied with.
急きたてられる [せきたてられる] [sekitaterareru] - (v1) to be hurried, to be hastened, to be hard pressed.
挙げられる [あげられる] [agerareru] - (v1) to be arrested, to be caught.
仰せられる [おおせられる] [ooserareru] - (v1) (pol) to say, to state.
駆られる [かられる] [karareru] - (exp,v1) to be driven by (one's feelings), to succumb to.
計られる [はかられる] [hakarareru] - to be taken in.
警官に抑えられる [けいかんにおさえられる] [keikanniosaerareru] - (exp) to be caught by a policeman.
遣られる [やられる] [yarareru] - (v1) (uk) to suffer damage, to be deceived.
試験で撥ねられる [しけんではねられる] [shikendehanerareru] - to get flunked in an examination.
叱られる [しかられる] [shikarareru] - to be scolded (reproved).
車に撥ねられる [くるまにはねられる] [kurumanihanerareru] - (exp) to be struck by a car.
暑さに当てられる [あつさにあてられる] [atsusaniaterareru] - (exp) to be affected by heat.
振られる [ふられる] [furareru] - (v1) to give someone the cold shoulder, to be jilted, to be rejected.
男爵に叙せられる [だんしゃくにじょせられる] [danshakunijoserareru] - (exp) to be conferred (a) baron.
釣られる [つられる] [tsurareru] - (v1) to be lured, to be attracted.
普く世界に知られる [あまねくせかいにしられる] [amanekusekainishirareru] - (exp) to be known all over the world.
忘れられる [わすれられる] [wasurerareru] - to slip into obscurity, to be forgotten.
魅せられる [みせられる] [miserareru] - (v1) to be enchanted, to be charmed.
友達に疎んじられる [ともだちにうとんじられる] [tomodachiniutonjirareru] - (exp) to be treated distantly by one's friends.

[Brody]

られる　is the potential form of 一段 verbs (group 2 verbs) such as 食べる.
Thus, 食べられる is "can eat."

It is also the passive form of 一段 verbs so 食べられる can be "was eaten."

How do you tell the difference? The ら can be dropped in the potential. This is called a "らぬき言葉" (word without ra).

What metalblue referred to is correct as well; it is still the passive form but it is used differently that in English. It is used to express a regrettable event. I think the classic example of this is 母に死なれた。　(lit. I was died on by my mother) I don't think this one is as common. I did a google search for it and only got about 100 hits. I think most Japanese would just say it the normal way 母は死んだ。

Also, the passive form can be used as an honorific, to show respect for the subject:

お父さまは帰られましたか。
Has your father come home?


Overall, just worry about the first two for now. They are, by far, much more common. The latter two are more advanced. Worry about them later.

[Jason]

I think most Japanese would just say it the normal way 母は死んだ。

It'd be much better if they said 母は亡くなった.

Also, the passive form can be used as an honorific, to show respect for the subject:

お父さまは帰られましたか。
Has your father come home?

Just note that when it's used like this it's not actually passive.

[Fiducio]

Okay, because what I was reading makes a little more sense now...

真理が収められています。

Sounds right.

[Brody]

Yes, なくなる is a much more respectable way to say die. Mine was just an example.

And sorry! When it is used as an honorific, it is no longer the passive.