Your Japanese teacher gives you a pile of homework. Your boss makes you stay late again. Your mum finally lets you have dessert first. Every one of these situations needs the same grammar tool in Japanese: the causative form (使役形／しえきけい). This single conjugation pattern covers both “make someone do” and “let someone do” — and knowing how to use it will unlock a whole layer of natural, real-world Japanese that textbooks often rush past.
| At a Glance | Rule | Dictionary Form | Causative Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 (u-verbs) | u-row ending → a-row + せる | 書く / 飲む / 話す | 書かせる / 飲ませる / 話させる |
| Group 2 (ru-verbs) | drop る, add させる | 食べる / 見る | 食べさせる / 見させる |
| する (irregular) | する → させる | する / 勉強する | させる / 勉強させる |
| くる (irregular) | くる → こさせる | くる / 持ってくる | こさせる / 持ってこさせる |
What the Causative Form Expresses
The causative form has two core meanings, and which one applies depends entirely on context — specifically, on the relationship between the people involved and whether the action is willing or unwilling.
| Meaning | Signal | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compulsion (強制) — “make” | Authority, unwilling subject, negative tone | 先生は生徒に漢字を書かせた。 | The teacher made the students write kanji. |
| Permission (許可) — “let” | Subject wants to act; positive or neutral tone | 母は私に好きな服を着させてくれた。 | My mum let me wear the clothes I liked. |
The key signal for the permission meaning is often a giving or receiving verb that follows: 「〜させてくれる」 (they let me do) or 「〜させてもらう」 (I am allowed to do). When neither of these appears and there is a clear power relationship, compulsion is the default reading.
The particle used for the person being caused to act also signals meaning. With intransitive verbs (no object), mark the causee with を. With transitive verbs that already take an object with を, mark the causee with に to avoid having two を-marked nouns in one sentence.
| Verb Type | Causee Particle | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intransitive (自動詞) | を | 子供を走らせる | make the child run |
| Transitive (他動詞) | に | 子供に野菜を食べさせる | make the child eat vegetables |
Yuka子供に毎日ピアノを練習させています。大変そうだけど、後で絶対に感謝すると思う！ (I make my child practise piano every day. It looks tough for them, but I think they will definitely be grateful later!)
Rei私も子供のころ、親にピアノを習わされたよ。最初はいやだったけど、今は弾けてよかったと思ってる。 (When I was a kid, my parents made me take piano lessons too. I hated it at first, but now I am glad I can play.)
Conjugation Rules: Step by Step
Group 1 (u-verbs): Change u-row to a-row, add せる
| Dictionary Form | Ending Change | Causative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 書く (kaku) | く → か | 書かせる | make/let write |
| 飲む (nomu) | む → ま | 飲ませる | make/let drink |
| 話す (hanasu) | す → さ | 話させる | make/let speak |
| 読む (yomu) | む → ま | 読ませる | make/let read |
| 行く (iku) | く → か | 行かせる | make/let go |
| 待つ (matsu) | つ → た | 待たせる | make/let wait |
| 言う (iu) | う → わ | 言わせる | make/let say |
Formation note: The u-row to a-row change works as follows: く→か, む→ま, す→さ, つ→た, ぬ→な, ぶ→ば, ぐ→が, る→ら (for Group 1 only). The special case is verbs ending in う: the a-row equivalent is わ, so 言う → 言わせる, not 言あせる.
Group 2 (ru-verbs): drop る, add させる
| Dictionary Form | Causative | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べさせる | make/let eat |
| 見る (miru) | 見させる | make/let see/watch |
| 起きる (okiru) | 起きさせる | make/let wake up |
| 覚える (oboeru) | 覚えさせる | make/let memorise |
Irregular verbs
These two must be memorised. する becomes させる (not すさせる — a very common error). くる becomes こさせる.
The て-form of Causative: Real-Life Patterns
The causative form is most useful when combined with て-form extensions. These patterns appear constantly in daily life, polite requests, and business Japanese.
Formation note: The causative form (e.g. 書かせる, 食べさせる) conjugates like a Group 2 verb into the て-form: drop る, add て. So 書かせる → 書かせて, 食べさせる → 食べさせて.
| Pattern | Example | Translation | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| 〜させてください | 説明させてください。 | Please let me explain. | Polite, direct request |
| 〜させてもらう | 先に帰らせてもらいます。 | I will go ahead and leave first. | Polite, humble-ish |
| 〜させてもらえませんか | 一緒に来させてもらえませんか。 | Would you allow me to come along? | Very polite request |
| 〜させてくれる | 自由に選ばせてくれた。 | They let me choose freely. | Casual, expressing gratitude |
| 〜させてあげる | 好きなものを食べさせてあげるよ。 | I will let you eat whatever you like. | Casual, granting permission |
Yuka今日のプレゼン、私にやらせてもらえませんか？ずっと準備してきたんです。(Could I be the one to handle today’s presentation? I have been preparing for it.)
Reiもちろん！じゃあ、最初の10分間はYukaさんに担当させてあげるね。(Of course! Then I will let Yuka handle the first ten minutes.)
Causative-Passive (〜させられる): Being Made to Do Something
The causative form can combine with the passive to create the causative-passive (使役受身形／しえきうけみけい). This describes the experience of being forced to do something — typically with a nuance of reluctance, inconvenience, or suffering. It is one of the most expressive structures in Japanese for conveying how unfair something feels.
Formation: Take the causative form → apply the passive ending (〜られる to the stem).
書かせる → 書かせられる
食べさせる → 食べさせられる
Group 1 colloquial contraction: In casual speech, the full form 〜させられる is often contracted to 〜される for Group 1 verbs: 書かせられる → 書かされる, 待たせられる → 待たされる. This shortcut does NOT apply to Group 2 verbs or する — 食べさされる is not standard.
| Plain Form | Causative | Causative-Passive | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 書く | 書かせる | 書かせられる (書かされる) | 毎週レポートを書かせられる。 | I am made to write a report every week. |
| 食べる | 食べさせる | 食べさせられる | 嫌いなものを食べさせられた。 | I was made to eat something I dislike. |
| 残業する | 残業させる | 残業させられる | 毎日残業させられて疲れた。 | I was made to do overtime every day and got exhausted. |
| 待つ | 待たせる | 待たせられる (待たされる) | 一時間も待たされた。 | I was made to wait for a whole hour. |
| 行く | 行かせる | 行かせられる (行かされる) | 遠い支店に行かされた。 | I was sent to a distant branch. |
| 飲む | 飲ませる | 飲ませられる (飲まされる) | お酒を飲まされた。 | I was made to drink alcohol. |
Pure causative vs causative-passive:
「部長は私を残業させた。」 — The manager made me do overtime. (focus: manager’s action)
「私は残業させられた。」 — I was made to do overtime. (focus: my unwilling experience)
させていただく: Business Japanese and Why It Is Overused
〜させていただく is the ultra-polite business standard for asking or announcing that you will do something. Literally it means “I humbly receive the favour of being allowed to do…”, making the speaker appear maximally deferential. You will encounter it in every corporate setting in Japan — in meetings, emails, announcements, and phone calls.
| Expression | Translation | When used |
|---|---|---|
| ご説明させていただきます。 | Allow me to explain. | Business presentations, meetings |
| 担当させていただきます。 | I will be in charge (of this). | Self-introduction in business |
| 本日は休業させていただきます。 | We will be closed today. | Shop or office announcements |
| 確認させていただけますか？ | May I confirm that? | Customer service, phone calls |
| 先に帰らせていただきます。 | I will humbly take my leave first. | Leaving before a superior |
Why is it overused? Many Japanese speakers now use させていただく even when there is no real permission being granted — for example, announcing a purely personal decision as if someone else allowed it. Native speakers increasingly find it hollow when used reflexively. The practical guideline for learners: use it when you are genuinely requesting or acknowledging permission. For purely internal decisions, 〜します or 〜いたします is cleaner and more direct.
Yuka本日のプレゼンを担当させていただきます、田中と申します。(My name is Tanaka. I will have the honour of presenting today.)
Rei「させていただく症候群」って言われるくらい多用されてるよね。ビジネスの場では自然だけど、使い過ぎは逆に不自然に聞こえることもある。(It is used so often it is called the “sasete-itadaku syndrome.” It sounds natural in business contexts, but overusing it can actually sound unnatural.)
Common Mistakes
Even intermediate learners make these causative errors consistently. Knowing them ahead of time saves you from embarrassing slip-ups.
| # | Mistake | Why it is wrong | Correct form |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 言う → 言あせる | The a-row form of う is わ, not あ | 言う → 言わせる |
| 2 | する → すさせる | する is irregular; its causative is simply させる | 勉強する → 勉強させる |
| 3 | 食べさされる (Group 2 contraction) | The さ-contraction only works for Group 1 non-す verbs | 食べさせられる (full form only) |
| 4 | 子供を野菜を食べさせる | Two を-particles in one clause is ungrammatical | 子供に野菜を食べさせる |
| 5 | Using させていただく for every action | When no real permission is involved, it sounds hollow or sycophantic | Use 〜します / 〜いたします for self-initiated actions |
| 6 | Confusing 〜させる and 〜させられる | Causative and causative-passive have opposite perspectives | Check who is the subject: causer (させる) or sufferer (させられる) |
Decision Flowchart: Which Causative Pattern Should You Use?
Not sure which form to use? Work through this flowchart.
Are you the one CAUSING the action?
|
YES
|
v
Do you want to sound POLITE / formal?
| |
YES NO
| |
v v
Are you requesting Use plain causative
permission or + context signals
announcing humbly? (させた / させてあげる)
|
YES
|
v
Is the permission granted BY others (they allow you)?
| |
YES NO (you grant it to others)
| |
v v
させてもらう / させてあげる /
させていただく させてくれる
(I humbly do X) (I let them do X)
---
Are you EXPERIENCING being forced to do something?
|
YES
|
v
Use causative-passive: 〜させられる
"I was made to do X" (reluctance / suffering nuance)Quick Quiz
1. Conjugate 飲む (のむ) into the causative form.
Answer: 飲ませる
2. Which particle marks the causee with a transitive verb? を or に?
Answer: に — because the verb already has an object with を (two を-markers in one clause is ungrammatical).
3. What does this sentence mean? 「上司に毎日残業させられている。」
Answer: I am being made to work overtime every day by my boss. (causative-passive — expressing compulsion and suffering)
4. Fill in the blank: 「先生、一度やってみ___ください。」 (Please let me try it once.)
Answer: させて → full sentence: やらせてください
5. Which is correct for a Group 2 verb? (a) 食べさされる (b) 食べさせられる
Answer: (b) 食べさせられる. The さ-contraction only applies to Group 1 verbs.
6. Translate into Japanese: “My teacher made me read the whole textbook.”
Answer: 先生は私に教科書を全部読ませた。
Which causative pattern do you find most confusing? drop your question in the comments — every question helps fellow learners too!
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