Causative Form Japanese: Make, Let and Be Made To

The causative: making and letting

With a verb that has an object, the person made to act takes に. With an intransitive verb, を often implies “made”, に “allowed”.

Short answer: the causative means “make someone do” or “let someone do”. Group 1 verbs move to the a-row + せる (行く → 行かせる); Group 2 verbs take させる (食べる → 食べさせる); する becomes させる. Its most useful everyday form is polite: て form + ください, 休ませてください, “please let me take the day off”. Combined with the passive it means “be made to”: 飲まされた, “I was made to drink”.

Forming the causative

Causative verbs are Group 2: 書かせます, 書かせない, 書かせた.

Causative	Meaning	From
kakaseru	make/let write	書く
ikaseru	make/let go	行く
mataseru	make wait, keep waiting	待つ
tabesaseru	make/let eat; feed	食べる
saseru	make/let do	する
kosaseru	make/let come	来る

Make and let

The same form covers both. Bosses, parents and teachers “make”; permission “lets”.

部長ぶちょうbuchōthe managerはwa(topic)私わたしwatashimeにni(person made)報告書ほうこくしょhōkokushoreportをo(object)書かせましたかかせましたkakasemashitamade write

Buchō wa watashi ni hōkokusho o kakasemashita.“The manager made me write the report.”Why: Person に, thing を, causative verb.

お待たせしましたおまたせしましたomatase shimashitaI made you wait

Omatase shimashita.“Sorry to keep you waiting.”Why: A fixed polite phrase built on 待たせる. Restaurants say it with every order.

父ちちchichimy fatherはwa(topic)私わたしwatashimeをo(person)留学りゅうがくryūgakustudy abroadさせてくれましたsasete kuremashitakindly let do

Chichi wa watashi o ryūgaku sasete kuremashita.“My father let me study abroad.”Why: させてくれる: “kindly allowed me”, gratitude built in.

Let me: させてください

The causative in て form + ください asks permission to do something yourself. It is humble and polite, and very common at work.

Causing feelings

With emotion verbs, the causative means making someone feel something: 驚かせる (surprise someone), 心配させる (make someone worry).

Apologies with the causative

Apologising for the effect on the other person often uses the causative.

お待たせしておまたせしてomatase shitemaking you waitすみませんsumimasensorry

Omatase shite sumimasen.“Sorry to keep you waiting.”Why: お + causative stem + して.

ご心配ごしんぱいgoshinpaiworryをo(object)おかけしましたokake shimashitacaused

Goshinpai o okake shimashita.“I’m sorry to have worried you.”Why: A set phrase with the same idea.

驚かせておどろかせてodorokasetesurprising youごめんgomensorry

Odorokasete gomen.“Sorry I gave you a fright.”Why: Casual.

Passive, causative, causative-passive

One verb, three forms, three meanings.

Form	Meaning	Who acts
nomareta	was drunk (by someone)	someone else, on the thing
nomaseta	made/let (someone) drink	I cause; they drink
nomasareta	was made to drink	they cause; I drink

Check yourself

Try each one, then open the answer to check and hear it.

causative of 行く
Show answer
ikaserua-row + せる.
causative of 食べる
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tabesaseru+ させる.
Please let me think about it.
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Kangaesasete kudasai.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
Show answer
Omatase shimashita.
I was made to drink.
Show answer
Nomasaremashita.Causative-passive, short form.

Be made to: the causative-passive

Causative + passive: someone made you do something, usually unwillingly. Group 1 verbs have a short form: 飲ませられる → 飲まされる.

Drink → be made to drink

Wait → be kept waiting

Eat → be made to eat