N4 · Passive and causative
The causative
making and letting with せる and させる
One ending for both "make somebody do" and "let somebody do" — the situation decides which.
The causative is built like the passive, with せる where the passive has れる. A group 1 verb changes its final -u to the -a sound and adds せる: 行く, 行かせる; 言う, 言わせる. A group 2 verb replaces る with させる: 食べさせる. する becomes させる and 来る becomes 来させる. The result is a group 2 verb.
English needs two verbs, "make" and "let"; Japanese has one form for both. 部長は新人に資料を作らせた is "the manager had the new employee prepare the papers"; 父は私に留学させてくれた is "my father let me study abroad". Adding てくれる or てあげる makes it clear that the permission was a kindness.
The person who is made or allowed to act takes に when the verb already has an object with を: 子供に野菜を食べさせる. With a verb that has no object, that person usually takes を: 子供を公園で遊ばせる. With feelings, the causative names whoever caused them: みんなを笑わせる, "make everybody laugh", 親を心配させる, "worry your parents".
The causative also tells you who has power over whom. A parent, a teacher or a boss uses it about a child, a student or a junior. Used about somebody above you it sounds as if you were giving them orders, and that is the mistake English speakers make most: "I had my teacher check my essay" is not 見させた but 見ていただいた.
The form
stem (regular) stem (irregular) ending
| go → make or let go | 行かせる |
| write → make or let write | 書かせる |
| wait → keep waiting | 待たせる |
| say → make say (う becomes わ) | 言わせる |
| read → make or let read | 読ませる |
| eat → make or let eat (group 2) | 食べさせる |
| do → make or let do (irregular) | させる |
| come → make or let come (irregular) | 来させる |
| polite | 行かせます |
| past | 行かせた |
| negative | 行かせない |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Group 1 verbs change the final -u to the -a sound and add せる; group 2 verbs replace る with させる.
先生は学生に作文を書かせました。The teacher had the students write an essay.
When the verb has an object with を, the person made to act takes に.
母は子供に野菜を食べさせました。The mother made her child eat the vegetables.
When the verb has no object, the person made to act usually takes を.
父は弟を買い物に行かせました。My father sent my younger brother to do the shopping.
With a verb of feeling, the causative says who caused the feeling.
親を心配させたくありません。I do not want to worry my parents.
Make or let depends on the situation; てくれる or てあげる makes it a kind "let".
父は私に留学させてくれました。My father let me study abroad.
A closer look
The causative as a relationship
Because one form covers "make" and "let", what a causative sentence means depends on who is speaking about whom. A coach who 走らせる his players makes them run; parents who 好きなことをさせる let their child do what the child likes. Japanese leaves this to the situation, and native speakers rarely find it ambiguous.
When the speaker wants to be unmistakable, a giving verb does the work. させてくれる says that somebody kindly let me; させてあげる says that I let somebody, as a favour to them. Without it, a sentence about a child or a junior tends to be heard as "make".
How to spot it
- 〜せる
- 〜させる
- させてくれる
- させてあげる
- 〜に〜を〜させる
Example sentences
遅れてごめん。待たせたね。Sorry I am late. I kept you waiting.
部長は新人に会議の資料を作らせました。The manager had the new employee prepare the papers for the meeting.
子供たちを公園で遊ばせています。I am letting the children play in the park.
彼はいつも冗談を言って、みんなを笑わせます。He is always joking and making everybody laugh.
熱がある子供に薬を飲ませました。I gave my child, who had a temperature, some medicine.
嫌なら、無理に行かせなくてもいいですよ。If he does not want to, you do not have to make him go.
7 more example sentences
先生は学生に一人ずつ教科書を読ませました。The teacher had the students read from the textbook one by one.
娘にピアノを習わせています。I am having my daughter take piano lessons.
つまらないことを言って、母を泣かせてしまいました。I said something stupid and made my mother cry.
驚かせてごめんなさい。Sorry to have startled you.
犬を散歩させるのは弟の仕事です。Walking the dog is my younger brother's job.
コーチは選手たちを毎日十キロ走らせました。The coach made the players run ten kilometres every day.
仕事が終わったら、皆さんを早く帰らせてあげてください。When the work is done, please let everybody go home early.
Worth knowing (2)
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The particle can decide between make and let
With a verb that has no object, both を and に are possible for the person, and they lean in different directions. を treats the person as something moved by somebody else's will, which sounds like "make"; に treats them as somebody acting on their own wish, which sounds like "let".
行きたがっていたので、息子に一人で行かせました。He wanted to go, so I let my son go on his own.
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The shop assistant's apology is a causative
The phrase every shop assistant says when they come back to you, お待たせしました, is the causative 待たせる, "keep somebody waiting", made humble with お〜する. It means "I have kept you waiting", which is why it is said by the person who kept you waiting, not by you.
お待たせしました。こちらがご注文のコーヒーです。Sorry to keep you waiting. Here is the coffee you ordered.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English "have somebody do something" covers both giving an order and asking a favour. Japanese splits them: the causative is for people you may tell what to do, and about a teacher it sounds as if you had ordered them to correct your work. For anybody above you, use てもらう or, more politely, ていただく.
Make and let are one form; use it downwards, and ask a favour upwards.
Your turn
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