Receiving a watching with 〜れる
Grammar Explanation: Receptive verbs with 〜れる
After Chino shows Cocoa to the changing room, Chino goes to get Cocoa’s uniform. Left alone, Cocoa gets a feeling otherwise.
- ココア:
- 「あれ… 誰もいないはずなのに誰かに見られているような」
- “Huh? Even though nobody should be here, it feels like I'm being watched by someone.”
Key Points
1見られている means Cocoa is being watched
- 見る becomes 見られる in the receptive, so Cocoa is not doing the watching. She is receiving someone else’s gaze.
- 〜ている makes the watching feel ongoing in this moment.
2誰かに marks the watcher
- In a receptive sentence, に can mark the person doing the action the subject receives.
- 誰かに見られている means “being watched by someone”, with the watcher left unknown.
3誰もいないはずなのに sets up the contradiction
- 誰もいない means “nobody is here”; はず adds Cocoa’s expectation that this should be true.
- なのに turns that expectation into a contrast: nobody should be here, and yet she feels watched.
4ような leaves the feeling unfinished
- The final ような trails off after “like…” or “as if…”, leaving the full thought implied.
- Cocoa is describing an uneasy impression rather than stating with certainty that someone is there.
See Also
- Grammar: Expectation with はず
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