N3 · Passive and causative
Being made to do something
the causative-passive
Causative plus passive: somebody made me do it, and I did not choose to.
Put the passive on top of the causative and you get the person who was made to act as the subject: 飲む"drink"飲ませる"make somebody drink"飲ませられる"be made to drink" Each step is a group 2 verb, so the last one simply replaces the る of させる or せる with られる.
In speech, group 1 verbs usually take a shorter form: せられる contracts to される, so 飲まされる, 待たされる, 行かされる. The one group that cannot shorten is verbs ending in す, because さされる would stack two さ: 話させられる stays long. Group 2 verbs and the irregular verbs have no short form: 食べさせられる, させられる, 来させられる.
The sentence puts the person who had no choice first and marks the one who forced them with に: 私は先輩にお酒を飲まされた. The feeling is reluctance — I would not have done it on my own — and very often a little rueful humour: カラオケで歌わされた.
With verbs of thinking and feeling the form loses its complaint. 考えさせられる means that something made you think, and it is praise: この映画には考えさせられた. English speakers, meanwhile, tend to stop at the causative and make themselves the one giving the orders: 私は部長に残業させた means that you made the manager work late.
The form
stem (regular) stem (irregular) ending
| go → be made to go | 行かせられる |
| go → be made to go (short, spoken) | 行かされる |
| drink → be made to drink (short) | 飲まされる |
| wait → be kept waiting (short) | 待たされる |
| speak → be made to speak (no short form) | 話させられる |
| eat → be made to eat (group 2) | 食べさせられる |
| do → be made to do (irregular) | させられる |
| come → be made to come (irregular) | 来させられる |
| polite past | 飲まされました |
| negative | 飲まされない |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
Build it from the causative: replace the final る of せる or させる with られる.
子供のころ、毎日ピアノを練習させられました。As a child I was made to practise the piano every day.
In speech, group 1 verbs shorten せられる to される — except verbs ending in す.
駅で一時間も待たされました。I was kept waiting at the station for a whole hour.
The person made to act is the subject; the one who forced them takes に.
私は先輩にお酒を飲まされました。I was made to drink by an older colleague.
With verbs of thinking and feeling, it says that something moved you, often as praise.
この本にはいろいろ考えさせられました。This book gave me a lot to think about.
A closer look
Three steps, three viewpoints
The three forms of 待つ show the same event from three sides. 待つ: I wait. 待たせる: I keep somebody waiting. 待たされる: somebody keeps me waiting. The action does not change; only who is speaking from where.
That is why お待たせしました and 待たされました can describe the same half-hour. The first is the apology of the person who was late; the second is the complaint of the person who stood there.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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a group 1 verb ends in す — 話す, 直す, 出す
there is no short form; only the long させられる is used.
作文を三回も書き直させられた。I was made to rewrite my essay three times.
The short form would put two さ side by side — 話さされる — which nobody says.
How to spot it
- 〜させられる
- 〜される
- 待たされる
- 考えさせられる
Example sentences
昨日は課長に夜十時まで残業させられた。Yesterday the section chief made me work until ten at night.
子供のとき、嫌いなにんじんを食べさせられました。As a child I was made to eat carrots, which I hated.
カラオケで部長に歌わされて、恥ずかしかったです。The manager made me sing at karaoke, and I was embarrassed.
病院で二時間も待たされました。I was kept waiting at the hospital for two whole hours.
会議で急に意見を言わされて、困りました。I was suddenly made to give my opinion at the meeting, and did not know what to say.
彼女のスピーチには感動させられました。I was genuinely moved by her speech.
7 more example sentences
高校では毎朝グラウンドを走らされました。At secondary school we were made to run round the sports ground every morning.
兄に重い荷物を持たされた。My older brother made me carry the heavy bags.
新人のころは、コピーばかりさせられていました。When I was new, all they had me do was make copies.
医者にお酒をやめさせられました。The doctor made me give up alcohol.
授業で一人ずつ英語で話させられた。In class we each had to speak in English, one by one.
彼の話には考えさせられることが多い。What he says often makes me think.
三十分も待たされたのに、謝ってくれなかった。I was kept waiting for half an hour, and he did not even apologise.
Worth knowing (1)
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Made to drink or had it drunk?
The plain passive and the short causative-passive look alike and mean very different things. 飲まれた is "somebody drank it (on me)"; 飲まされた is "I was made to drink". The extra さ is the causative, and it is the whole difference.
冷蔵庫のビールを弟に飲まれた。My younger brother drank the beer in the fridge.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
The causative on its own says that the topic did the making. With 私はin frontさせましたmeans that you made the manager work late The passive ending られる is what turns you into the one who had no choice.
Made to do it is させられる; in speech, group 1 verbs shorten it to される.
Your turn
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