GRAMMAR DETAIL
に
Used with a passive verb to identify the person or thing that actually performs the action.
Examples
この歌は多くの人に愛されている。
This song is loved by many people.
Words used
弟は犬に手をかまれた。
My younger brother was bitten on the hand by a dog.
Words used
Study notes
1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning
- Structure: In a passive sentence,
にmarks the person or thing performing the action. - Basic usage: In
弟は犬に手をかまれた。, the dog performs the biting.
2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions
- Subject and agent
犬が弟の手をかんだdescribes the action with the dog as subject.弟は犬に手をかまれたpresents the same event from the affected younger brother's side.
- Interpret with the passive verb
- In
多くの人に愛されている, the people do the loving. Interpretにtogether with the following passive rather than identifying an agent from the particle alone.
- In