JLPT N1Spoken and writtenPointed

に言いわせると・に言いわせれば・に言いわせたらif you ask …; to hear … tell it

You give someone's opinion as what they would say if you let them speak: usually a strong, confident view, and not necessarily yours. With 私わたし it is your own blunt verdict: "if you ask me".

someone else's view

田た中なかさんに言いわせたら、この程てい度どの雨あめは悪あく天てん候こうのうちに入はいらない。

If you ask Tanaka, rain like this doesn't even count as bad weather.

your own

私わたしに言いわせれば、この企き画かくはまだ準じゅん備び不ぶ足そくだ。

If you ask me, this project still isn't ready.

How to form it

Person + に言わせると／に言わせれば／に言わせたら + their opinion

All three mean the same; に言いわせたら is the most conversational and the least common. The person can be a group: 専せん門もん家か, 子こどもたち.

Before it: Someone with views of their own: 彼かれ, うちの母はは, あの批ひ評ひょう家か, 私わたし. Not a report, a survey or a forecast.
After it: Their verdict, put the way they would put it: 時じ間かんの無む駄だだ, まだまだだ.
Tone: Pointed. You often pass the opinion on with a raised eyebrow.
Where you'll meet it: Conversation, columns, reviews, essays.

In use

A

このラーメン、おいしいね。

This ramen's good, isn't it?

B

うん。でも、うちの父ちちに言いわせると、こんなのはラーメンじゃないらしいよ。

Mm. Though to hear my dad tell it, this isn't ramen at all.

B is enjoying the ramen. The verdict is Dad's.

ベテランの編へん集しゅう者しゃに言いわせると、この原げん稿こうは説せつ明めいが多おおすぎる。

If you ask a veteran editor, this draft explains too much.

彼かの女じょに言いわせると、問もん題だいは予よ算さんではなく、決けつ断だんの遅おそさだ。

The way she tells it, the problem isn't the budget. It's how slowly decisions get made.

私わたしに言いわせれば: if you ask me

About yourself it is blunt, and often goes against what everyone else is saying. A measured view starts 私わたしとしては or plain 私わたしは.

A

あの映えい画が、すごい人にん気きだね。

That film's hugely popular, isn't it?

B

私わたしに言いわせれば、ただ長ながいだけだよ。

If you ask me, it's just long.

Close neighbours

によるとN3

A source that told you something: the forecast, a survey, a friend. What follows is information, passed on with そうだ, not a verdict.

天てん気き予よ報ほうによると、明日あしたは午ご後ごから雪ゆきが降ふるそうです。

According to the weather forecast, it will snow from tomorrow afternoon.

から見みるとN2

How things look from where someone stands. Nobody is heard speaking.

専せん門もん家かから見みると、この差さは無む視しできない。

To an expert's eye, this difference can't be ignored.

にとってN3

What something is or means for someone: important, hard, a problem. Not what they think of it.

私わたしにとって、この町まちは第だい二にの故ふる郷さとです。

To me, this town is a second home.

Check yourself

1Which one fits?

天てん気き予よ報ほう（　　）、週しゅう末まつは大おお雪ゆきになるそうだ。

Choose an answer to see why.

2What is the person who says this doing?

祖そ母ぼに言いわせると、今いまの若わか者ものは恵めぐまれすぎているそうだ。

Choose an answer to see why.

More detail

Word for word it is "if you let them say": 言いわせる is 言いう in the causative. The plain causative, "make someone say", is still in use.

監かん督とくは新しん人じん俳はい優ゆうに同おなじ台詞せりふを何なん度ども言いわせた。

The director made the new actor say the same line again and again.

You will also hear 私わたしから言いわせれば, with から for に. Many people count it a mistake, and careful writers keep に.

More sentences

料りょう理り人にんに言いわせれば、この魚さかなは少すこし火ひを通とおしすぎだ。

If you ask a chef, this fish is slightly overcooked.

あの批ひ評ひょう家かに言いわせれば、人にん気きがあることと質しつが高たかいことは別べつ問もん題だいだ。

If you ask that critic, being popular and being good are two different things.

長なが年ねんの利り用よう者しゃに言いわせると、以い前ぜんの設せっ計けいのほうが分わかりやすかった。

Long-time users will tell you the old design was easier to understand.