Is this sentence correct? courtesy/honorific use of the passive


> 総理大臣【そうりだいじん】はヨーロッパを訪問【ほうもん】されたくさんの国々の大統領【だいとうりょう】に会われた。
>
> "The prime minister visited Europe and met the presidents of various
> countries".

され is as this to link the phrase right?

Why use "を" as if it were a normal sentence? Wouldn't it be "で" or "に" as a
normal passive sentence?

Are Honorific/Courtesy sentences treated as if they were normal sentences even
though they are conjugated using the passive form in the verbs?




Yes, the sentence is perfectly correct. The auxiliary (助動詞) 「れる/られる」 has four
meanings: 「受け身」(passive), 「尊敬」(honorific), 「可能」(potential), and
「自発」(spontaneous). Here in your example, it is used as honorific.

> 総理大臣はヨーロッパを訪問 **され** たくさんの国々の大統領に **会われ** た。

is not the passive voice, but the honorific speech (尊敬語) of:

> 総理大臣はヨーロッパを訪問 **し** たくさんの国々の大統領に **会っ** た。

Which _literally_ means:

> The prime minister **visited** Europe and **met** the presidents of various
> countries.




Yes, the sentence is perfectly correct. The auxiliary (助動詞) 「れる/られる」 has four
meanings: 「受け身」(passive), 「尊敬」(honorific), 「可能」(potential), and
「自発」(spontaneous). Here in your example, it is used as honorific.

> 総理大臣はヨーロッパを訪問 **され** たくさんの国々の大統領に **会われ** た。

is not the passive voice, but the honorific speech (尊敬語) of:

> 総理大臣はヨーロッパを訪問 **し** たくさんの国々の大統領に **会っ** た。

Which _literally_ means:

> The prime minister **visited** Europe and **met** the presidents of various
> countries.

