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What are the nuances when an intransitive verbs becomes a passive verb. Is not it just duplication:

Example

窓が開いた

And

窓が開かれた

Isnt 開かれる and 開く both mean "to be opened".

Japanese Learner
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  • Does this answer your question? [ひらく / とじる vs. あける / しめる](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/6449/%e3%81%b2%e3%82%89%e3%81%8f-%e3%81%a8%e3%81%98%e3%82%8b-vs-%e3%81%82%e3%81%91%e3%82%8b-%e3%81%97%e3%82%81%e3%82%8b) – Shurim Jan 05 '21 at 18:20
  • Hey no the question is not about the specifi verbs but how intransitive verbs become passive. – Japanese Learner Jan 06 '21 at 14:15
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    Does this answer your question? [Distinguish between homonyms & potential form](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/69691/distinguish-between-homonyms-potential-form) – broccoli facemask Jan 08 '21 at 02:43

1 Answers1

2

窓が開いた
And
窓が開かれた

Do you mean 窓が[開]{ひら}いた and 窓が[開]{ひら}かれた ? If so, the [開]{ひら}かれた is NOT the passive of intransitive [開]{ひら}いた but the passive of transitive [開]{ひら}いた.

Active: 窓を[開]{ひら}く "(someone) opens the window" ← [開]{ひら}く is transitive
⇨ Passive: 窓が[開]{ひら}かれる "the window is opened (by someone)"

If you mean 窓が[開]{あ}いた and 窓が[開]{あ}かれた, then your second sentence is grammatically incorrect.

As you may know, [開]{あ}く is intransitive, [開]{ひら}く can be transitive and intransitive, and [開]{あ}ける is transitive. To sum up:

◎「窓が[開]{あ}く」「窓が[開]{ひら}く」-- intransitive "the window opens"
◎「窓を[開]{ひら}く」「窓を[開]{あ}ける」-- transitive "to open the window"
◎「窓が[開]{ひら}かれる」「窓が[開]{あ}けられる」-- passive of 窓を[開]{ひら}く and 窓を[開]{あ}ける. "the window is opened"
✕「窓が[開]{あ}かれる」-- incorrect

Related:

Chocolate
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  • No I am sorry I am new to Japanese so the verb choice might not be correct. But the question is how does a intransitive verb become passive= what does it convey ? – Japanese Learner Jan 09 '21 at 18:25
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    @JapaneseLearner, Intransitive verbs cannot become passive (except in Indirect Passive/Suffering Passive structure). – Chocolate Jan 09 '21 at 23:17