Is 「〜られたくない」 in present or past form?


I've come across these two sentences and have been trying to wrap my head
around them for a while.

> 「出られたくないんだよ」and 「縛られたくないんだよ」

Both use the potential verb form and 「くない」

When I look up the translation, they say "I do not want to leave" and "I don't
want to be tied up."

But they end with 「られ **た** 」, which is used for something done in the past. I
would have assumed they'd be translated as "I **did** not want to leave."

If I'm missing something please tell me.




I think you are confused. That has nothing to do with past form. It is called
～たい form and it indicates "being willing/wanting to" do something.

The basic rule of construction is:

> verb {stem of masu-form} + たい.

In your example, the verbs are conjugated in a passive negative form (as for
出る notice that passive and potential are the same so I'm unsure just from the
verb without context).

Basically you can see it as conjugated doing the following steps:

縛る ー＞ (passive) 縛られる ー＞ (〜たい form) 縛られたい ー＞ (negative) 縛られたくない

For more about the ～たい form, you can look [here](https://www.learn-japanese-
adventure.com/japanese-expression-desire.html).

**Ps.**

I got caught up in something and could not continue my answer.

I wanted to add one thing. I did not mention translations because you have
already provided them. However, I'm not sure "I do not want to leave" is
correct. Then what would be the difference with "出たくない"? Since the 出る is
intransitive, this is probably what is called 迷惑{めいわく}の受け身, loosely translated
as "troubling passive". Therefore, is probably more something like "I don't
want (someone else) to leave".

However, put in this way, the more I think of it the more I find it confusing
myself. Let me expand. Think of this type of passive as something that happens
and someone being affected/troubled by it.

Typical example:

> 雨に降られた, I was fallen on by the rain (It rained on me).

And I was affected negatively by this event.

Now let's turn this example to make it more similar to your case:

> 雨に降られたくない, I don't want to be fallen on by the rain (I don't want it to rain
> on me).

Now should be easier to understand why I said the translation of your case
should probably refer to someone else leaving. There are probably two things
missing there:

> [私が][...に]出られたくないんだよ, (I) don't want (...) to "leave on me"

Where I wouldn't know how to better render in English the "leave on me" part,
but I hope it gives you the idea.

And obviously, now you should see why in English is much more natural "I don't
want (someone) to leave".

* * *

After seeing Naruto's comment, I think "sufferer passive" is an even better
translation for 迷惑の受け身.




I think you are confused. That has nothing to do with past form. It is called
～たい form and it indicates "being willing/wanting to" do something.

The basic rule of construction is:

> verb {stem of masu-form} + たい.

In your example, the verbs are conjugated in a passive negative form (as for
出る notice that passive and potential are the same so I'm unsure just from the
verb without context).

Basically you can see it as conjugated doing the following steps:

縛る ー＞ (passive) 縛られる ー＞ (〜たい form) 縛られたい ー＞ (negative) 縛られたくない

For more about the ～たい form, you can look [here](https://www.learn-japanese-
adventure.com/japanese-expression-desire.html).

**Ps.**

I got caught up in something and could not continue my answer.

I wanted to add one thing. I did not mention translations because you have
already provided them. However, I'm not sure "I do not want to leave" is
correct. Then what would be the difference with "出たくない"? Since the 出る is
intransitive, this is probably what is called 迷惑{めいわく}の受け身, loosely translated
as "troubling passive". Therefore, is probably more something like "I don't
want (someone else) to leave".

However, put in this way, the more I think of it the more I find it confusing
myself. Let me expand. Think of this type of passive as something that happens
and someone being affected/troubled by it.

Typical example:

> 雨に降られた, I was fallen on by the rain (It rained on me).

And I was affected negatively by this event.

Now let's turn this example to make it more similar to your case:

> 雨に降られたくない, I don't want to be fallen on by the rain (I don't want it to rain
> on me).

Now should be easier to understand why I said the translation of your case
should probably refer to someone else leaving. There are probably two things
missing there:

> [私が][...に]出られたくないんだよ, (I) don't want (...) to "leave on me"

Where I wouldn't know how to better render in English the "leave on me" part,
but I hope it gives you the idea.

And obviously, now you should see why in English is much more natural "I don't
want (someone) to leave".

* * *

After seeing Naruto's comment, I think "sufferer passive" is an even better
translation for 迷惑の受け身.

