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JLPT N4Verb Forms

させる(Causative) — Make / Let Someone Do

The causative form means to MAKE someone do something, or to LET someone do something. The speaker acts as the director, forcing or allowing another person (the actor) to perform the verb.

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Pro lessonUNIT 53 · VERB FORMS

Structure · 形

u-verb: -u → -a + せる (書く→書かせる) | ru-verb: drop る + させる (食べる→食べさせる) | irregular: する→させる, 来る→来させる

Examples · 例文

  • 部長は部下に残業させた。

    Buchou wa buka ni zangyou saseta.

    The manager made his subordinates work overtime.

    残業する (work overtime) → 残業させる (forced them to do it)

  • 母は子供に野菜を食べさせた。

    Haha wa kodomo ni yasai o tabesaseta.

    The mother made the child eat vegetables.

    食べる (eat) → 食べさせる (made/let eat)

  • 今日は私に払わせてください。

    Kyou wa watashi ni harawasete kudasai.

    Please let me pay today.

    払う (pay) → 払わせて (let me pay) + ください

Usage notes · 注意

  • Force vs let: On its own, させる defaults to 'force/make.' To clearly mean 'let,' bolt on giving/receiving verbs: 食べさせてあげる (grant them the favor of eating), 〜させてください (please let me).
  • Actor particle: The directed person takes に when the verb has a direct object (を), and を when the verb is intransitive (子供を歩かせる).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones させる is tested against.

vsさせられる (causative-passive)

させる is from the director's viewpoint (I make you do it). させられる flips to the victim's viewpoint (I was forced to do it).

vsてもらう

てもらう means you had someone do you a favor at your request. させる (let-reading) means YOU grant permission; the direction of benefit and control differs.

More verb forms

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