Using passive voice with transitive and intransitive verbs


What's the difference between using the passive voice with a transitive and an
intransitive verb?

Take the examples:

> パソコンがこわれられた ｖｓ パソコンをこわされた

(PS: I don't know if the particles I used in the examples are okay.)




Summary:

  1. ❌ パソコン **が** こわれられた。 (ungrammatical)
  2. パソコン **に** こわれられた。  
My PC broke (on its own, and I'm troubled).

  3. パソコン **を** こわされた。  
I had my PC broken (by someone, and I'm troubled).  
Someone broke my PC (and I'm troubled).

* * *

Sentence 1 is simply ungrammatical. You need to use に to express "suffering
passive".

Sentence 2 is a correct sentence with a "passive form of an intransitive
verb". It means the PC crashed **on its own** (no person is to blame), and
that fact troubled the speaker. It's a typical "suffering passive (迷惑の受け身)"
sentence. Textbook examples of this include:

  * 雨に降られた。
  * 親に死なれた。

Sentence 3 is a correct sentence known as an indirect passive sentence. Here,
**there is a person** who broke the speaker's PC. The textbook example of this
is:

  * 財布を盗まれた。  
I had my wallet stolen.




Summary:

  1. ❌ パソコン **が** こわれられた。 (ungrammatical)
  2. パソコン **に** こわれられた。  
My PC broke (on its own, and I'm troubled).

  3. パソコン **を** こわされた。  
I had my PC broken (by someone, and I'm troubled).  
Someone broke my PC (and I'm troubled).

* * *

Sentence 1 is simply ungrammatical. You need to use に to express "suffering
passive".

Sentence 2 is a correct sentence with a "passive form of an intransitive
verb". It means the PC crashed **on its own** (no person is to blame), and
that fact troubled the speaker. It's a typical "suffering passive (迷惑の受け身)"
sentence. Textbook examples of this include:

  * 雨に降られた。
  * 親に死なれた。

Sentence 3 is a correct sentence known as an indirect passive sentence. Here,
**there is a person** who broke the speaker's PC. The textbook example of this
is:

  * 財布を盗まれた。  
I had my wallet stolen.

