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Causative Form of Verbs in Japanese | My Language Classes
Understanding Causative Form in Japanese
The causative form in Japanese is used to express situations where someone makes or allows another person to do something. This grammatical structure is essential for both beginners and intermediate learners as it plays a vital role in daily conversations and formal settings.
Formation of the Causative Form
The causative form in Japanese follows a specific conjugation pattern based on the verb group.
Group 1 (Ichidan Verbs – る-verbs)
- Drop る and add させる
- Example: 食べる → 食べさせる (taberu → tabesaseru) – “to make/let someone eat”
Group 2 (Godan Verbs – う-verbs)
- Change the final う sound to あ and add せる
- Example: 書く → 書かせる (kaku → kakaseru) – “to make/let someone write”
Irregular Verbs
- する → させる
- くる → こさせる
Usage of Causative Form
1. Making Someone Do Something
When the subject forces someone to do something.
- 先生は生徒に本を読ませた。
- Sensei wa seito ni hon o yomaseta.
- “The teacher made the student read the book.”
2. Allowing Someone to Do Something
When the subject permits another person to do something.
- 母は子供にアイスクリームを食べさせた。
- Haha wa kodomo ni aisukurīmu o tabesaseta.
- “The mother let the child eat ice cream.”
3. When Used with Intransitive Verbs
It means “to let someone” do something.
- 友達は私を早く帰らせた。
- Tomodachi wa watashi o hayaku kaeraseta.
- “My friend let me go home early.”
4. Causative-Passive Form (When Someone Is Made to Do Something Unwillingly)
- 先生に宿題をたくさんやらせられた。
- Sensei ni shukudai o takusan yaraserareta.
- “I was made to do a lot of homework by the teacher.”
Situations Where Causative Form Is Used
- Forcing someone to do something
- Giving permission to do something
- Describing workplace instructions
- Formal requests in a business setting
- Parenting and teaching situations
- Expressing feelings of obligation
- Telling someone to act on your behalf
Beginner and Intermediate Level Verbs with Causative Form and Example Sentences
| Verb (Dictionary Form) | Causative Form | Example Sentence 1 | Romaji | English | Example Sentence 2 | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 食べる (taberu) | 食べさせる (tabesaseru) | 母は私に野菜を食べさせた。 | Haha wa watashi ni yasai o tabesaseta. | “My mother made me eat vegetables.” | 先生は生徒に昼ご飯を食べさせた。 | Sensei wa seito ni hirugohan o tabesaseta. | “The teacher let the students eat lunch.” |
| 行く (iku) | 行かせる (ikaseru) | 父は私を学校に行かせた。 | Chichi wa watashi o gakkō ni ikaseta. | “My father made me go to school.” | 先生は生徒を旅行に行かせた。 | Sensei wa seito o ryokō ni ikaseta. | “The teacher let the students go on a trip.” |
| 書く (kaku) | 書かせる (kakaseru) | 先生は生徒に作文を書かせた。 | Sensei wa seito ni sakubun o kakaseta. | “The teacher made the student write an essay.” | 彼は弟に手紙を書かせた。 | Kare wa otōto ni tegami o kakaseta. | “He made his younger brother write a letter.” |
More Example Sentences
- 先生は生徒に宿題をやらせた。
- 友達は私にその映画を見させた。
- 母は私に皿を洗わせた。
- 父は私にピアノを弾かせた。
- 会社は社員に報告書を書かせた。
- 医者は患者に薬を飲ませた。
- 先生は学生を立たせた。
- 兄は弟に犬を散歩させた。
- 友達は私に試験の問題を解かせた。
- 父は私に手伝いをさせた。
Fill in the Blanks
- 先生は生徒に本を ___ 。
- 母は子供に野菜を ___ 。
- 友達は私を早く ___ 。
- 父は私に宿題を ___ 。
- 医者は患者に薬を ___ 。
- 先生は生徒に黒板に字を ___ 。
- 社長は部下にレポートを ___ 。
- 兄は弟にピアノを ___ 。
- 友達は私に試験の答えを ___ 。
- 先生は学生を立たせた。
Answers
- 読ませた
- 食べさせた
- 帰らせた
- やらせた
- 飲ませた
- 書かせた
- 書かせた
- 弾かせた
- 解かせた
- 立たせた
Things to Keep in Mind
- The causative form can indicate both “making someone do” and “letting someone do” an action.
- The causative-passive form (e.g., やらせられる) is often used when someone is forced to do something against their will.
- The particle に is used to indicate the person being caused to act.
- Some sentences may sound unnatural if used without context, so always consider the situation.
Conclusion
The causative form in Japanese is essential for expressing permission, coercion, and obligation. Mastering it will help you create more nuanced sentences in conversations and formal settings. Keep practicing with different verbs and contexts, and soon, using the causative form will become second nature!
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One response to “Causative Form of Verbs in Japanese | My Language Classes”
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Your lessons here are good but I’m not quite well versed in such, I want to learn Finnish.. I am trying hard to master it. 🙂 The special characters in Finnish and other languages tear me up.
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