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Passive, causative, and causative-passive viewpoints
Track two things: who actually performs the action, and which person the sentence puts at the center. The passive centers someone or something receiving or being affected by an action. The causative centers the person who makes or allows someone else to act. The causative-passive centers the person who performs an action because someone else made them do it.
Choose the person at the center
Start with the subject you want, not with an English translation.
The receiver or affected person
Passive form, such as 読まれる
The subject receives the action or is affected by what another person or event does.
The passive is not automatically negative. It also describes neutral facts, public practices, praise, and other positive events.
The person causing the action
Causative form, such as 読ませる
The subject makes, has, lets, or otherwise causes another person to act.
The form alone does not decide between “make” and “let.” The situation and relationship do.
The person made to act
Causative-passive form, such as 読ませられる or 読まされる
The subject performs the action under another person's direction or pressure.
This often suggests reluctance or burden, but it does not necessarily imply anger.
One event, three different centers
A teacher has a student read a notice. Each sentence presents the reading from a different angle.
お知らせは学生に読まれました。
The notice was read by the student.
AnalyzeThe notice receives the action and is placed at the center.
先生は学生にお知らせを読ませました。
The teacher had the student read the notice.
AnalyzeThe teacher causes the action and is the subject. The student does the reading.
学生は先生にお知らせを読まされました。
The student was made to read the notice by the teacher.
AnalyzeThe student still performs the reading, but is now the subject because the sentence presents the experience from the student's side.
Takeaway: The passive subject receives the action, the causative subject causes it, and the causative-passive subject performs it under someone else's influence.
Receiving an action is not the same as being made to act
These forms can place the same person at the center, but that person's role is different. In a passive sentence, the subject receives what someone else does. In a causative-passive sentence, the subject personally performs the action.
The passive is broader than misfortune
Japanese passive sentences include neutral descriptions and affected-person patterns as well as unpleasant experiences.
新しい橋は去年建てられました。
The new bridge was built last year.
AnalyzeThe builder is unimportant, so no actor is named. This style is common in factual descriptions.
私は混んだ電車で隣の人に腕を押されました。
The person next to me pressed my arm on the crowded train.
AnalyzeThe affected person is the subject, while the body part remains marked by を.
この歌は幅広い世代に愛されています。
This song is loved by people of many generations.
AnalyzeNothing adverse is implied.
The causative can mean either control or permission
A teacher causes the same student to give a presentation, but the surrounding circumstances change the interpretation.
練習として、先生は美咲さんを三回発表させました。
For practice, the teacher made Misaki give her presentation three times.
AnalyzeRepeated practice under the teacher's direction makes “made” the natural interpretation.
美咲さんの希望で、先生は彼女に最初に発表させました。
At Misaki's request, the teacher let her present first.
AnalyzeHer stated preference makes permission the natural interpretation.
Takeaway: Do not translate the causative ending in isolation. Ask whether the situation shows authority, pressure, permission, or simple causation.
A practical starting point for causative particles
Swipe sideways to compare every column.
| Situation | Usual beginner pattern | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| The original action has no direct object | Person acting + を | This is a common baseline when the subject directs or controls the action. |
| The original action already has an object | Person acting + に; object + を | The original object keeps its object marker. |
| The context clearly grants permission | Person allowed to act + に | Permission often favors this marker, including with actions that have no direct object. |
This is a dependable starting point, not a rule covering every verb and situation. Routes, permission, and the natural behavior of individual verbs can affect the choice.
Keep the original object visible
コーチは選手を校庭で走らせました。
The coach made the players run in the schoolyard.
AnalyzeThe running action has no direct object, so the person acting takes を in this basic control context.
コーチは選手に試合の映像を見させました。
The coach had the players watch footage of the game.
AnalyzeThe footage is the object marked by を, so the players take に.
Full and shortened causative-passive forms
Many Group 1 verbs have both a full form and a common shorter form. The meaning and viewpoint remain the same.
More examples across the family
会議は午後三時に開かれます。
The meeting will be held at three in the afternoon.
Analyze彼の提案は全員に支持されました。
His proposal was supported by everyone.
Analyze父は私に好きな席を選ばせました。
My father let me choose the seat I wanted.
Analyzeその冗談はみんなを笑わせました。
That joke made everyone laugh.
Analyze子どものころ、兄に重い荷物を持たされました。
When I was a child, my older brother made me carry heavy bags.
Analyze新人は先輩に資料を全部調べさせられました。
The new employee was made to examine all the documents by a senior colleague.
Analyze