書かされる・
You did it, but it wasn't your idea: someone made you. This is the causative told from the side of the person who had to do it, and it usually comes with a sigh.
When I was a child, my mother made me eat vegetables I disliked.
I was kept waiting at the hospital for two whole hours.
When I was new, I was made to clean every morning.
How to form it
書く → 書かされる 食べる → 食べさせられる する → させられる 来る → 来させられる
The causative made passive: 食べさせる → 食べさせられる. Godan verbs (う-verbs) usually shorten せられる to される, but not those ending in す. Ichidan verbs (る-verbs), する and 来る don't shorten. Whoever made you takes に.
Making it
It is the causative made passive: せる becomes せられる. Godan verbs also have a shorter ending, される in place of the ない-form's ない: 書かない, 書かされる.
| Causative | Causative-passive | |
|---|---|---|
| Godan | 書かせる | 書かされる, 書かせられる |
| 待たせる | 待たされる, 待たせられる | |
| 歌わせる | 歌わされる, 歌わせられる | |
| Godan in す | 話させる | 話させられる |
| Ichidan | 食べさせる | 食べさせられる |
| 来る | 来させる | 来させられる |
| する | させる | させられる |
Every one then changes like an ichidan verb: 待たされます, 待たされない, 待たされた, 待たされて.
My teacher made me write a long essay.
The short ending. What people usually say.
My teacher made me write a long essay.
The full ending. Just as correct, and heard less.
A godan verb in す keeps the full ending.
The department head made me speak for a full thirty minutes at the meeting.
Not said: 会議で
(The department head made me speak for a full thirty minutes at the meeting.)
The idea
Two people are involved. One has the say; the other does the work. The causative starts from the one with the say. The causative-passive starts from the one who had to do it. It is mostly said about yourself, or about someone whose side you take.
Passive, causative or causative-passive?
My younger brother ate my cake.
Passive, 食べられる. He ate it, and it happened to me.
My mother made my younger brother eat his vegetables.
Causative, 食べさせる. He ate them, and she was the reason.
My younger brother was made to eat his vegetables by our mother.
Causative-passive, 食べさせられる. The same dinner from his side.
The test is who eats. In the passive and the causative it is the other person, not the subject. In the causative-passive it is the subject, and に marks whoever made him.
The passive and the causative-passive look alike and say opposite things about who acted.
The teacher asked me a question.
Passive. The teacher asked.
The teacher made me ask a question.
Causative-passive. I asked, because I was made to.
With a godan verb the two are one さ apart: 読まれる is "is read", 読まされる is "is made to read".
Something is done to the subject, or lands on them.
My younger brother was woken by our mother.
The subject makes or lets someone else do it.
The doctor had the patient take the medicine.
Who or what made you
A parent, a teacher, a boss, an older brother or sister
They take に.
On Sunday, my father made me wash the car.
No person at all: things went that way
There is no に.
The train stopped, and I was kept waiting at the station for a whole hour.
Something that set you thinking
No complaint in this one: it moved you.
This film gave me a lot to think about.
Ones you'll hear every day
Most are grumbles about work, school and family.
歌わされるbe made to sing
The department head made me sing at karaoke.
手伝わされるbe roped into helping
I got roped into helping with my older sister's move on the weekend.
買わされるbe talked into buying
The salesclerk talked me into buying an expensive bag.
残業させられるbe made to work overtime
I was made to work overtime every day this week.
Made to, not allowed to
The causative can be "make" or "let". Turned round like this, it is nearly always "made". If you were let, and glad of it, that is させてもらう.
I had a fever, so I was sent home early.
Someone made you go.
I had a fever, so I was allowed to go home early.
Someone let you go, and you're grateful.
Close neighbours
なければならないN5
English "had to" covers both. なければならない says it was necessary and blames nobody. The causative-passive says someone or something made you.
I had to wait for an hour.
Check yourself
1What does this mean?
兄に
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
体の
Choose an answer to see why.
3Which form is right?
先生に
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
In practice, I was made to read the same passage over and over.
Suddenly, I was made to answer a question in front of everyone.
I was made to introduce myself in front of everyone, and I got nervous.
When I was a child, my older brother made me carry heavy bags.
Even though it was my day off, my boss made me come to the office.
Said at the office, where you are now. Told anywhere else, it is 行かされました, "made me go".