We are learning some types of passive sentences in the section 37. Today’s sentence constructions too, do not mention who makes the action like yesterday’s sentences. The difference from the yesterday’s is that “-wa” is used for the subject marker.
1. Kono Tatemono wa Raishu’u Kowasare masu. (This building will be demolished in the next week.)
The subject is “Tatemono(building)” in the sentence 1. Since the subject marker is not “-ga” but “-wa”, both the speaker and the listener have already shared what is the Tatemono, or which Tatemono they are talking about. Look at two conversations below;
(1) The subject markers are “-ga”
A : Dono Tatemono ga Raishu’u Kowasare masuka. (Which building will be demolished next week?)
B : Kono Tatemono ga Kowasare masu. (This building will be demolished.)
The person A doesn’t know which building will be demolished at the timing of asking. Therefore, only the person B knows “Kono Tatemono” will be demolished. “Kono Tatemono” will be a new information for the person A. This is the reason why “-ga” is used for the subject marker.
(2) The subject markers are “-wa”
A : Kono Tatemono wa Raishu’u Kowasare masuka. (Will this building be demolished next week?)
B : Hai, kono Tatemono wa Kowasare masu. (Yes, this building will be demolished.)
The person A and B is talking about the same building “Kono Tatemono”. Therefore, they have already shared which building they are talking about. This is the reason why “-wa” is used for the subject marker.
The following example sentences are also shown in the form of conversation, in order to make clear that the subject is shared between the asking person and the answering person.
2.
A : Kono Otera wa Itsu Taterare mashitaka. (When was this temple built?)
B : Kono Otera wa Ni-Hyaku nen mae ni Taterare mashita. (This temple was built 200 years ago.)
3.
A : Pa’ati’i wa Doko de Hirakare masuka. (Where will the party be held?)
B : Pa’ati’i wa Koube Hoteru de Hirakare masu. (The party will be held in Kobe Hotel.)
The above conversations use “-wa” for the subject markers. Can you tell whether “wa” or “ga” is used for subject marker in the following conversation?
A : Koube Hoteru de Nani<?> Hirakare masuka. (What will be held in Kobe Hotel?)
B : Pa’ati’i <?> Hirakare masu. (A party will be held there.)
The answer will be shown tomorrow.
Yesterday and today, we have been learning some passive sentences that do not mention the actor of the passive action. This kind of sentences are uttered when the actor is not the important information. If who’s the actor is important, of course it is possible to say the actor in a passive sentence.
A : Kabin wa Dareni Kowasare mashitaka. (By whom was the flower vase broken?)
B : Kabin wa Satou-san ni Kowasare mashita. (The flower vase was broken by Sato-san.)
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This post was written with reference to the exercise A5 on Section37 of “Minna no Nihongo (2nd Edition)” published by “3A Corporation”
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