Japanese Causative Form: Make or Let Someone Do (させる・せる)
The Japanese causative form (使役形、しえきけい) expresses that the subject makes or lets someone else do something. Group 2 verbs drop る and add させる; Group 1 verbs shift to the あ-row and add せる; する becomes させる. The same form can express compulsion ("make do") or permission ("let do") — context determines which. Polite request patterns like させてください and the causative-passive させられる are key N4 grammar points.
Covers: G1/G2/G3 conjugation · Compulsion vs permission meanings · に vs を particles · Polite request patterns · Causative-passive · 5 common mistakes
For Group 2 verbs, drop the final る and add させる. The result is always a Group 2 verb ending in させる.
Dictionary form
Causative form
Meaning
食べる
食べさせる
make/let eat
見る
見させる
make/let see
起きる
起きさせる
make/let wake up
着る
着させる
make/let wear
受ける
受けさせる
make/let take (an exam)
開ける
開けさせる
make/let open
Conjugation Table — Group 1 (Godan) Verbs
For Group 1 verbs, change the final う-row sound to the あ-row sound and add せる. This is the same vowel shift as the passive, but with せる instead of れる. Note: う-ending verbs shift to わ, not あ.
Dictionary form
Causative form
Meaning
書く
書かせる
make/let write
飲む
飲ませる
make/let drink
話す
話させる
make/let speak
待つ
待たせる
make/let wait
帰る
帰らせる
make/let go home
遊ぶ
遊ばせる
make/let play
歌う
歌わせる
make/let sing
行く
行かせる
make/let go
読む
読ませる
make/let read
Group 3 Irregular
Dictionary form
Causative form
Note
する
させる
させ replaces する entirely
くる
こさせる
Irregular
Two Meanings: Compulsion vs Permission
The causative form covers both "make someone do" (compulsion) and "let someone do" (permission). The distinction comes from context, the relationship between speakers, and particle choice.
Meaning
Pattern
Example
English
Compulsion (make do)
[subject]が[person]に[object]を[causative]
先生は生徒に宿題をさせた
The teacher made the students do homework
Permission (let do)
[subject]が[person]を[causative]
子供を遊ばせた
Let the child play
Polite request (let me do)
[causative て-form]ください
発表させてください
Please let me present
に vs を with the Causative
Both に and を can mark the person who is caused to do something. The choice affects nuance, but neither is always wrong.
Particle
Nuance
Example
Notes
に
Softer control; implies the person has some volition; often used for permission or light direction
子供に野菜を食べさせた
More common with transitive causatives
を
Stronger control; treats person more as object of causation; often for compulsion or intransitive verbs
子供を遊ばせた
More common with intransitive causatives
In practice, both particles are widely used and both sound natural in most contexts. When the caused action takes its own direct object (野菜を食べる), に is generally preferred for the person. When the caused verb is intransitive (遊ぶ), を is more common.
Polite Causative Request Patterns
The causative て-form combines with several endings to create polite requests for permission. These are essential for business Japanese and formal situations.
Pattern
Formality
Meaning
Example
させてください
Polite
Please let me do
確認させてください (Please let me confirm)
させてもらえますか
Polite–formal
May I do? (seeking permission)
発表させてもらえますか (May I present?)
させていただきます
Formal–humble
Allow me to do (humble)
説明させていただきます (Allow me to explain)
させていただけますか
Very formal
Would you allow me to do?
確認させていただけますか (Would you allow me to confirm?)
Causative-Passive: Being Made to Do Something (させられる)
The causative-passive combines both forms to mean "be made to do" — an action performed unwillingly under someone else's direction. This is a key N4 grammar structure.
Verb
Causative-passive
Contracted form
Meaning
食べる (G2)
食べさせられる
—
be made to eat
見る (G2)
見させられる
—
be made to see/watch
書く (G1)
書かせられる
書かされる
be made to write
飲む (G1)
飲ませられる
飲まされる
be made to drink
待つ (G1)
待たせられる
待たされる
be made to wait
行く (G1)
行かせられる
行かされる
be made to go
Contraction rule: Only G1 verbs can form the contracted causative-passive. G2 verbs always use the full させられる form. Among G1 verbs, す-ending verbs do not contract: 話させられる (not 話さされる). Example sentence: 毎日残業させられる — I am made to work overtime every day (against my will).
5 Common Mistakes with the Causative Form
Wrong causative of する. The causative of する is させる, not するさせる or しさせる. For compound verbs: 勉強させる (make study), 運動させる (make exercise). The させ replaces する entirely.
Confusing causative させる with passive られる. Both forms look similar and learners mix them up conceptually. Causative: the subject causes another's action (食べさせる — make eat). Passive: the subject receives an action (食べられる — be eaten). The causative-passive させられる combines both meanings.
す-ending G1 verbs: causative vs potential.話す (to speak) → causative: 話させる (make speak). Learners sometimes write 話せる, which is the potential form (can speak), not the causative. Always use あ-row + せる for causative: 話す→話さ+せる=話させる.
Using させてください to direct someone else.させてください is a request for permission for yourself to do something. To ask someone else to do something, use 〜てください or 〜てもらえますか. Saying それをやらせてください means "please let me do that" — not "please do that."
Wrong causative-passive contraction. Only G1 verbs (excluding す-ending) form the contracted causative-passive: 書かされる、飲まされる、待たされる. G2 verbs always stay long: 食べさせられる (never 食べさされる). す-ending G1 verbs also do not contract: 話させられる.
FAQ
How do you form the causative for Group 1 verbs?
For Group 1 (godan) verbs, change the final う-row sound to the あ-row sound and add せる. Examples: 書く→書かせる (make/let write); 飲む→飲ませる (make/let drink); 話す→話させる (make/let speak); 待つ→待たせる (make/let wait); 歌う→歌わせる (make/let sing). The あ-row shift is the same as for the passive form, but with せる instead of れる. Note that う-ending verbs shift to わ, not あ.
What is the difference between the causative and the passive form?
The causative (させる／せる) means "make or let someone do something" — the subject causes another person's action. The passive (られる／れる) means "be done to" — the subject receives an action. Compare: 先生は生徒に宿題をさせた (causative: the teacher made students do homework) vs 生徒は先生に褒められた (passive: the student was praised by the teacher). The causative-passive させられる combines both: "be made to do something."
When do you use に vs を with the causative?
Both に and を can mark the person who is made or let to do something. に is preferred when the person has some volition — it often implies permission or a softer direction. を implies more direct control or compulsion. For intransitive verbs, を is generally more natural: 子供を遊ばせた (let the child play). For transitive causatives where the caused action takes its own object, に is preferred: 子供に野菜を食べさせた.
How do you use させてください to ask for permission?
させてください is a polite request for permission to do something yourself — "please let me do X." Examples: 発表させてください (please let me present); 手伝わせてください (please let me help). A more formal version is させていただきます, which uses the humble auxiliary いただく and means "allow me to do" or "I will humbly do." This pattern is common in formal business Japanese.
What is the causative-passive and when is it used?
The causative-passive (させられる) means "be made to do something" — an action performed unwillingly under someone else's authority. Example: 毎日残業させられる (I am made to work overtime every day). G2 verbs use the full form: 食べさせられる. G1 verbs (except す-ending) can contract: 書かされる、飲まされる. The contracted forms are common in everyday speech.
How is the causative different from giving a direct command?
A direct command (てください) tells someone what to do. The causative describes the subject causing or allowing another person to perform an action — it centers on the authority relationship between causer and doer. 宿題をしてください (please do your homework — direct request) vs 生徒に宿題をさせた (made the students do homework — causative, from the teacher's perspective). Use causative when describing situations of supervision, arranged action, or permission.
The YoruLearn app drills causative conjugation across all three verb groups with fill-in-the-blank exercises, compulsion vs permission context questions, and causative-passive sentence building — with adaptive review that targets the patterns you find hardest.
