JLPT N4
使役形 (causative)
Make/Let someone do
Structure
Verb causative form
How it works
The causative form is used to express 'making' someone do something or 'letting/allowing' them to do it. For Group 1 verbs, change the final 'u' sound to 'a' and add 'seru'; for Group 2, replace 'ru' with 'saseru'; and for Group 3, 'suru' becomes 'saseru' and 'kuru' becomes 'kosaseru'. Phrases with this form often use the particle 'ni' to mark the person being directed.
Examples
先生は学生に宿題をたくさんさせました。
The teacher made the students do a lot of homework.
お母さんは子供に野菜を食べさせました。
The mother made her child eat vegetables.
部長は私を早く帰らせてくれました。
The manager let me go home early.
Common mistakes
Confusing the 'ni' and 'wo' particles: generally, 'ni' marks the person for transitive verbs, but 'wo' is often used for the person with intransitive verbs (e.g., kodomo wo hashiraseru).
Tip
To remember the difference between 'make' and 'let', look for auxiliary verbs like '~te kureru' or '~te ageru'; these usually indicate 'letting' someone do something.
More JLPT N4 grammar
See 使役形 (causative) in real Japanese
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