"決{き}まっている" and "決められている" have the same meaning, right?


I came across this sentence written by a native speaker:  
(1) "学年{がくねん}ごとに学習{がくしゅう}する漢字{かんじ}が **決められて** います。"

To communicate the same meaning, I would have said:  
(2) "学年ごとに学習する漢字が **決まって** います。"

#1 is passive voice: " _The kanjis that are studied each academic year have
been decided._ "  
I interpret #2 to mean " _The kanjis that are studied each academic year are
decided._ "

Is that right? If so, can I extend that idea to:  
"机{つくえ}の上{うえ}に載{の}っている。" <-- same? --> "机の上に載せられている。"  
...  
[more verbs that have transitive and intransitive forms]




Yes, the two sentences about kanji have the same meaning, but there is a
slight difference in nuance or, I should say, focus.

Sentence #2 「[学年]{がくねん}ごとに[学習]{がくしゅう}する[漢字]{かんじ}が[決]{き}まっています。」 sounds more
"neutral" or "generic" than Sentence #1. It does not place a focus on
anything.

Sentence #1 「学年ごとに学習する漢字が決められています。」, being in the passive voice form, places
an amount of focus on the fact that people with power got together and decided
which kanji should be learned by what grade kids.

However, if I had seen #1 all by itself, instead of side by side with #2, I
actually might not have felt the focus I mentioned as much as I did when the
two sentences were given in a pair from the beginning.

Your second pair of sentences about a thing being placed on the desk is a
different story. The first sentence 「[机]{つくえ}の[上]{うえ}に[載]{の}っている。」 sounds much
more neutral and natural. It just says that something is on the desk.

The passive voice version 「机の上に載せられている。」 sounds like someone went to the
trouble of putting something on the desk for a specific purpose. It could
sound like there is a problem with the thing that was placed on the desk.




Yes, the two sentences about kanji have the same meaning, but there is a
slight difference in nuance or, I should say, focus.

Sentence #2 「[学年]{がくねん}ごとに[学習]{がくしゅう}する[漢字]{かんじ}が[決]{き}まっています。」 sounds more
"neutral" or "generic" than Sentence #1. It does not place a focus on
anything.

Sentence #1 「学年ごとに学習する漢字が決められています。」, being in the passive voice form, places
an amount of focus on the fact that people with power got together and decided
which kanji should be learned by what grade kids.

However, if I had seen #1 all by itself, instead of side by side with #2, I
actually might not have felt the focus I mentioned as much as I did when the
two sentences were given in a pair from the beginning.

Your second pair of sentences about a thing being placed on the desk is a
different story. The first sentence 「[机]{つくえ}の[上]{うえ}に[載]{の}っている。」 sounds much
more neutral and natural. It just says that something is on the desk.

The passive voice version 「机の上に載せられている。」 sounds like someone went to the
trouble of putting something on the desk for a specific purpose. It could
sound like there is a problem with the thing that was placed on the desk.

