〜せる/〜させる — Japanese Grammar

〜せる/〜させる: JLPT N4 grammar pattern. Usage, structure, examples, and comparison with similar patterns.

japanesegrammarn4causative

〜せる/〜させる

Property Value
Pattern 〜せる/〜させる
JLPT Level N4
Type causative
Formality Neutral
Register Both

Meaning

The causative form expresses that someone is making someone else do something, or allowing someone to do something. It indicates an action initiated by one person that forces or permits another person to perform the action.

Structure Formula

Group 1 (U-verbs): [Verb stem (u → a)] + せる Example: 書く (kaku) → 書かせる (kakaseru)

Group 2 (Ru-verbs): [Verb stem] + させる Example: 食べる (taberu) → 食べさせる (tabesaseru)

Group 3 (Irregular):

  • する (suru) → させる (saseru)
  • 来る (kuru) → 来させる (kosaseru)

Detailed Explanation

The causative form is used to describe a situation where a subject (the "causer") influences another person (the "target") to perform an action. Depending on the context, this can imply compulsion (forcing someone to do something) or permission (letting someone do something).

In Japanese, the target of the causative action is marked with the particle に (ni). For example, "I made my child eat vegetables" is Watashi wa kodomo ni yasai o tabesaseru. If the verb is transitive (takes an object marked by o), the target is sometimes marked with を (o) to avoid having two o particles in the same sentence.

The nuance of "permission" vs. "compulsion" is often determined by the context or the relationship between the speaker and the listener. For instance, a parent saying "I let my child go to the park" uses the same grammatical structure as "I made my child clean the room."

This form is essential for expressing social dynamics, such as workplace instructions, parenting, or describing past experiences where you were "forced" to do something by a teacher or superior.

Example Sentences

Japanese Reading Romaji English
母は私に野菜を食べさせた。 母(はは)は私(わたし)に野菜(やさい)を食(た)べさせた。 Haha wa watashi ni yasai o tabesaseta. My mother made me eat vegetables.
先生は学生に本を読ませた。 先生(せんせい)は学生(がくせい)に本(ほん)を読(よ)ませた。 Sensei wa gakusei ni hon o yomaseta. The teacher made the students read the book.
部長は彼に資料を作らせた。 部長(ぶちょう)は彼(かれ)に資料(しりょう)を作(つく)らせた。 Buchō wa kare ni shiryō o tsukuraseta. The manager made him prepare the documents.
父は私を留学させてくれた。 父(ちち)は私(わたし)を留学(りゅうがく)させてくれた。 Chichi wa watashi o ryūgaku sasete kureta. My father let me study abroad.
早く行かせてください。 早(はや)く行(い)かせてください。 Hayaku ikasete kudasai. Please let me go early.
彼女は子供を自由に遊ばせた。 彼女(かのじょ)は子供(こども)を自由(じゆう)に遊(あそ)ばせた。 Kanojo wa kodomo o jiyū ni asobaseta. She let her child play freely.
嫌な仕事をさせられた。 嫌(いや)な仕事(しごと)をさせられた。 Iya na shigoto o saserareta. I was forced to do a job I hated.
先生は私に掃除をさせた。 先生(せんせい)は私(わたし)に掃除(そうじ)をさせた。 Sensei wa watashi ni sōji o saseta. The teacher made me clean.

Comparison with Similar Patterns

〜せる/〜させる vs 〜てもらう (te-morau)

While causative implies "making" or "letting," 〜てもらう expresses "having someone do something for you" (receiving the favor of an action).

Pattern Nuance Example
〜させる Force/Permission 先生に走らせられた (I was made to run by the teacher)
〜てもらう Request/Favor 先生に教えてもらった (I had the teacher teach me)

Common Mistakes

  1. Confusing the particle: Learners often use ga instead of ni for the person being caused to do something. ❌ 先生は私が行かせた。 → ✓ 先生は私に行かせた。
  2. Mixing up groups: Applying Group 1 rules to Group 2 verbs. ❌ 食べさせる (Correct) → 食べさす (Incorrect conjugation)
  3. Overusing causative: Using it when a simple request is more natural. ❌ 友達に宿題をさせた (I made my friend do homework - sounds like you are their boss). Use tanomu (to ask) instead.

Practice Exercises

Fill in the blank:

  1. 先生は私に重い荷物を（持たせる / 持たせられる）。
  2. 母は私にピアノを（習う）＿＿＿＿＿。
  3. 上司は部下に残業を（する）＿＿＿＿＿。
  4. 私は子供を公園で（遊ぶ）＿＿＿＿＿。
  5. 彼は私に歌を（歌う）＿＿＿＿＿。

Answer Key:

  1. 持たせた (The teacher made me carry the heavy luggage).
  2. 習わせた (My mother made me learn piano).
  3. させた (The boss made the subordinate work overtime).
  4. 遊ばせた (I let the child play in the park).
  5. 歌わせた (He made me sing a song).

JLPT Level Notes

In the JLPT N4, you will often see the causative form in reading comprehension passages to identify who is doing the action. Pay close attention to the particle ni—it identifies the person performing the action, not the person initiating it. Also, be prepared for the "causative-passive" form (〜させられる), which is a common trap in N4/N3 listening sections.