書かせる・
One person is behind what another person does: they make them do it, or they let them. The verb is the same for both, and the situation tells you which.
make
My mother makes my younger sister practice the piano every day.
let
When their homework is done, I let my children play video games.
How to form it
書く → 書かせる 食べる → 食べさせる する → させる 来る → 来させる
Godan verbs (う-verbs): last kana to its あ sound (う to わ), then せる. Ichidan verbs (る-verbs): る → させる. The person who does the action takes に or を.
Making it
It starts like the ない-form. In place of ない, a godan verb takes せる and an ichidan verb takes させる.
| ない-form | Causative | |
|---|---|---|
| Godan | 書かない | 書かせる |
| 待たない | 待たせる | |
| 言わない | 言わせる | |
| Ichidan | 食べない | 食べさせる |
| 考えない | 考えさせる | |
| 来る | 来ない | 来させる |
| する | しない | させる |
Only する breaks the rule. For a godan verb it is 書かせる, not 書かさせる. Every causative then changes like an ichidan verb: 書かせます, 書かせない, 書かせた, 書かせて.
The idea
The subject doesn't do the action. They are the reason someone else does it, and usually they are the one with the say: a parent, a teacher, a boss, a coach.
My mother made my younger sister tidy her room.
She still did it. Our mother is the reason.
The other person didn't want to
Made them.
The teacher made the students stand in the hallway.
The other person wanted to
Let them.
I let the children play in the park.
A feeling or a reaction
Caused it. Nobody gave an order.
My older brother pulled a funny face and made the baby laugh.
With ください, about yourself
Let me.
Please let me think about it for a moment.
Make or let?
You can tell from whether the person wanted to.
I made my daughter go to the dentist.
She didn't want to go: made.
I let my daughter go to the concert.
She wanted to go: let.
When you are the one who was let, くれる or もらう after the て-form shows you're glad of it.
My parents let me study abroad.
My father won't let me travel alone.
に or を for the person?
If the action is done to something (eat vegetables, take medicine), that thing keeps を and the person takes に. If it isn't (go, rest, play, stand), the person usually takes を.
The doctor had the patient take the medicine.
The medicine has を, so the patient takes に.
The coach had the players rest for an hour.
Resting isn't done to anything, so the players take を.
Causing, not ordering
The causative also covers what you bring about without telling anyone to do anything: making someone laugh, cry, angry or worried, or keeping them waiting. Nobody has to be above anybody here, and the person takes を.
I was late and made my friend angry.
I don't want to worry my parents.
The news reassured the family.
Ones you'll hear every day
お待たせしましたsorry to keep you waiting
Sorry to have kept you waiting. This way, please.
From 待たせる, to keep someone waiting. Shop staff say it, and so does anyone who turns up late.
知らせるlet someone know
Please let me know when you get to the station.
From 知る, to know. It is a dictionary word of its own by now.
聞かせるtell; let someone hear
Tell me about your trip.
A favor is てもらう
Making and letting both come from above. With a friend as the one doing it, the causative sounds bossy; with a teacher or a boss, it is rude. English "I had a friend carry it" and "I got my teacher to check it" are favors, and a favor is てもらう.
I made my friend carry the bags.
You told them to.
I had my friend carry the bags.
You asked, and you're grateful.
Sounds odd: 先生に
I made my teacher correct my essay.
That is what it says. "I had my teacher correct it" is 先生に作文を直してもらいました.
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.
Something is done to the subject, or lands on them.
My younger brother was woken by our mother.
書かされる・食べさせられる (causative-passive)N4
The subject is made to do it.
On Sunday, my father made me wash the car.
Close neighbours
You were let, and you're glad of it: 早く帰らせてもらいました is "I was allowed to go home early". The humble させていただきます is heard all day in shops and offices, and on a shop door.
We are closed today.
Check yourself
1What does this mean?
父は
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
道が
Choose an answer to see why.
3Which particle?
母は
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
に with go, rest and play
With these, に is heard as well as を, mostly when the person wants to do it: 私に行かせてください, "please let me go".
着せる or 着させる?
A few everyday verbs have a partner that already means doing it to someone: 見せる (show), 着せる (put clothes on someone), 乗せる (give a ride). With the causative, the person does it themselves because you said so.
My mother put my younger sister's coat on her.
着せる. Our mother's hands did it.
My mother made my younger sister put her coat on.
着させる. My sister did it herself.
A shorter ending in conversation
In casual speech せる is sometimes cut to す: 待たす for 待たせる, 飲ます for 飲ませる.
Sorry to keep you waiting.
More sentences
The manager made the new employee learn how to use the register.
At the meeting, I had everyone give their opinion.
The coach made the athletes run through the park.
公園の中を has the を, so the athletes take に.
The film made many viewers cry.
That joke made everyone laugh.