〜れる・〜られる (respect)
(respectful form of a verb)
Passive form used for respect: 行かれる · 読まれる · 来られる · される
Sign up free to review this point on a spaced schedule.
The passive form doubles as a respectful form: 社長は何時に来られますか, "what time will the president be coming?" It raises the person doing the action, like お〜になる but a little less formal.
It works with most verbs: 帰られる, 書かれる, 読まれる, and する becomes される. Verbs with their own respectful words (いらっしゃる, 召し上がる, おっしゃる) usually use those instead.
How do you tell it from a real passive? A passive has someone acting on the subject (先生に叱られた, "I was scolded by the teacher"). In 先生が本を書かれた, the teacher is doing the writing, so it's respect.
It's common in business, the news and polite conversation about superiors.
Examples
社長は何時に来られますか。
What time will the president be coming?
先生はもう帰られました。
The teacher has already gone home.
部長はもうこの本を読まれましたか。
Has the manager read this book yet?
これは田中様が書かれた記事です。
This is the article Mr Tanaka wrote.
先生は毎朝散歩をされます。
The teacher takes a walk every morning.