Why can an intransitive verb have a passive meaning in Japanese?


In active sentences, the verbs can be transitive and intransitive.

  * 私が消しゴムを落としました。I dropped an eraser. (transitive)
  * 私が走ります。I run. (intransitive)

But I got surprised that 見つかる which is an intransitive but it makes the
sentence has a passive meaning, for example:

  * 財布が見つかった。The wallet was found. 

Is there a better translation in English for it but with active form?

Why can an intransitive verb have a passive meaning in Japanese?




Many Japanese _active_ sentences are better translated into English using
passive voice, and vice versa. One well-known example is already found in your
question:

> I was surprised.  
>  私は驚【おどろ】いた。

Where 驚く is an intransitive verb, and 'surprise' is a transitive verb. (We
also have the transitive version 驚かす, but we say 私は驚かされた far less frequently
than English speakers say 'I was surprised').

Other examples:

  * 満足する be satisfied
  * 生まれる be born
  * がっかりする・落胆する be disappointed

So don't think that something has a universally passive meaning in all
languages.




Many Japanese _active_ sentences are better translated into English using
passive voice, and vice versa. One well-known example is already found in your
question:

> I was surprised.  
>  私は驚【おどろ】いた。

Where 驚く is an intransitive verb, and 'surprise' is a transitive verb. (We
also have the transitive version 驚かす, but we say 私は驚かされた far less frequently
than English speakers say 'I was surprised').

Other examples:

  * 満足する be satisfied
  * 生まれる be born
  * がっかりする・落胆する be disappointed

So don't think that something has a universally passive meaning in all
languages.

