Last time I have started to mix active and passive forms like
**読んだ｛よんだ｝本｛ほん｝** and **読まれた｛よまれた｝本｛ほん｝**. In which case the passive is
necessary and in which case not? Could you please help me to draw a fat red
line between them? Thank you so much in advance...
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2017-02-03T10:16:36.283
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2017-02-03T10:35:42.773
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question
word-choice
Difference between 読んだ本 and 読まれた本?
Passive forms can be used when you don't want to (or cannot) clearly state the
actor. Active forms like 「読んだ本」 can be used when the actor is clear from the
context (but not so important as to be explicitly clarified).

So, 「読まれた本」 sounds like the book was read by an unknown person. On the other
hand, the meaning of 「読んだ本」 should be determined from the context, like "the
books _I_ have read" or "the books _you_ have read."

* * *

For example:

> **[使]{つか}われた** [金]{かね}は[戻]{もど}って[来]{こ}ない。  
>  The spent money will not come back.
>
> **使った** 金は戻って来ない。  
>  The money _you_ have spent will not come back (to you).

In the former sentence, it is not clear who spent the money. It sounds like
the money may have been stolen, or used without permission.

In the latter sentence, it strongly implies that " _you_ " (or if it is a
monologue, then "I") spent the money, because the actor should not be
ambiguous.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-02-03T10:35:42.773
43162
2017-02-03T10:35:42.773
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
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answer