Japanese with Manga

Receiving saying with 〜れる

Grammar Explanation: Receptive verbs with 〜れる

Manga panel from ご注文はうさぎですか？ showing example of Receiving saying with 〜れる.
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Cocoa excitedly tells Chino about a comment she received from a customer.

ココア:
「この前(まえ)お客(きゃく)さんにココアちゃんはシスター・コンプレックスだねって言(い)われちゃった」
“Earlier, it was said by a customer that I have a sister complex.”
Literal: “The other day, I ended up receiving it said by a customer, 'Cocoa-chan, you have a sister complex.'”
チノ:
「え…」
“Ah...”
ココア:
「響(ひび)きがかっこいいよね」
“It sounds cool, doesn't it?”

Key Points

1言(い)われちゃった = “I got told”
  • The receiver of the saying is Cocoa, even though the sentence does not say 私が.
  • Here お客(きゃく)さんに marks who said it: a customer said this to Cocoa.
2Receptive 〜れる with 言(い)う
  • 言(い)う becomes 言(い)われる in the receptive form.
  • In full, the core idea is お客(きゃく)さんに 言(い)われた: “I was told by a customer” or “a customer told me”.
3って marks the quoted comment
  • Everything before って is what the customer said: ココアちゃんはシスター・コンプレックスだね.
  • The は in ココアちゃんは belongs inside that quote; it is not marking the subject of 言(い)われちゃった.
4ちゃった is casual てしまった
  • 言(い)われちゃった is the casual past form of 言(い)われてしまった.
  • ちゃった often adds a sense of “ended up”, but Cocoa is happy here, not upset.
  • ちゃん is an affectionate, informal suffix attached to names, used mainly for children, close friends, and family members.

See Also

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