JLPT N4

~させる

To make/let someone do (Causative)

Structure

Group 1 Verbs: (あ-form) + せる; Group 2 Verbs: (drop ます) + させる; Group 3 Verbs: する → させる, くる → こさせる

How it works

The causative form indicates that someone 'causes' or 'allows' another person to perform an action. It can express forcing someone to do something or permitting them to do it.

Examples

先生は学生に日本語を話させます。

The teacher makes the students speak Japanese.

Common mistakes

Incorrectly using を vs. に for the person who performs the caused action, especially with transitive verbs.

Tip

Focus on the 'causing' or 'allowing' aspect. For group 1 verbs, changing the final sound to the 'a' column and adding 'せる' is key.

More JLPT N4 grammar

See ~させる in real Japanese

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