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.
Structure
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
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
• 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
- てくる — Come Doing / Has Been Doing (Toward Now)
- てみる — Try Doing (and See)
- Potential Form — Can / Be Able To (Verbs)
- がる／がっている — Describing Others' Feelings
- 〜出す (だす) — Abrupt Eruptions
- 〜始める (はじめる) — Intentional Beginnings
- 意向形 (いこうけい) — Volitional Form (Let's / I'll)
- くする / にする — Make something become (a quality)
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