Japanese grammar
What does 使役形 (causative form) mean? Japanese grammar N4
使役形 (causative form) means make/let someone do ~.
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N4 |
|---|---|
| Structure | A は B に V (causative) (verb with を) A は B を V (causative) (verb without を) |
| Romaji | shieki-kei |
| Meaning | make/let someone do ~ |
Forming it
| Group 1 (godan) | Change the final う-row sound to the あ-row, then add せる: いく → いかせる、まつ → またせる、かう → かわせる (う → わ) |
|---|---|
| After conjugating | Always becomes a GROUP 2 verb: 行かせる → 行かせます、行かせて |
| Group 2 (ichidan) | Drop る and add させる: たべる → たべさせる、おぼえる → おぼえさせる |
| Group 3 (irregular) | する → させる、くる → こさせる |
How to use it
Someone of higher status forces or allows someone of lower status to do something.
- The causative form expresses a superior–subordinate relationship: a person with authority (parents, teachers, a boss) makes someone below them do something. It cannot be used in reverse — you cannot say "I made my boss do something".
- The particle is determined by the verb itself. If the verb already has an object marked with を (本を読む), the person being made to act takes に: 「先生は学生に本を読ませました」. If the verb has no を (行く、帰る、走る), the person being made to act takes を: 「先生は学生を帰らせました」. This is a fixed rule you must memorize.
- The nuance has two branches: (1) FORCING — 「母は私に部屋を掃除させました」 (my mother made me clean the room, I didn't want to); (2) ALLOWING — 「父は妹を留学させました」 (my father let my younger sister study abroad, she wanted to). Context and the verb determine which meaning applies.
- When wanting to clearly express permission, Japanese speakers often combine the causative form with ～てあげる／～てくれる: 「子供に好きな本を読ませてあげました」 (I let my child read the book they liked).
- Because this pattern implies authority, using it in the wrong place sounds very arrogant. To ask permission to do something, you must use ～(さ)せてください (see pattern N4-025), rather than stating the causative directly.
Examples
母は毎日私に野菜を食べさせます。
My mother makes me eat vegetables every day.
部長は田中さんを大阪へ行かせました。
The department head sent Mr. Tanaka to Osaka.
父は妹に好きな大学を選ばせました。
My father let my younger sister choose the university she liked.
Keep in mind
- In companies, subordinates talking about their own actions often use the humble form ～させていただきます (beyond N4 scope but heard very often).
- させる is the causative form of する, NOT しさせる.
Common mistakes
-
Wrong先生は学生に帰らせました。
The teacher let the students go home.
Correct先生は学生を帰らせました。
帰る is a verb without an を object, so the person being made to act must take を. Vietnamese speakers often use に in every case because they think に means "to whom / who is made to". The real rule depends on whether the base verb has an を or not.
-
Wrong私は部長に書類を作らせました。
The department manager made me make the document.
Correct部長は私に書類を作らせました。／私が書類を作りました。
The causative form only goes from higher to lower status. An employee "making" the department manager do something is socially nonsensical in Japanese, even though the grammar looks correct.
Exam tips
- Remember the particle pair: verb with を → the person made to act takes に; verb without を → the person made to act takes を. This is the #1 tested point about 使役.