#causative tense

The causative tense mainly describes two types of situations:

1) When someone makes someone else do something. This can be through instructions (like from a parent to child, or teacher to student), persuasion, or even force.

母は私にケーキを食べさせました。 My mother made me eat cake (even though I didn’t want to).

2) When someone lets someone else do something, either by giving them permission or by remaining hands-off and not interfering.

母は私にケーキを食べさせました。 My mother let me eat cake (for my birthday! Isn’t she the world’s best mom?).

For the most part you have to rely on context or common sense to help you distinguish between the two.

寝させろよ!!! LET ME SLEEP!!!

(『月刊少女野崎くん』 Girl’s Monthly Nozaki-kun, vol. 4 by Izumi Tsubaki)

You can think of the sentence form as a stereotypical child/parent relationship, where the "parent" allows or makes the "child" do certain actions. Of course both could be omitted from the sentence, but even so it’s best to keep this structure in mind:

"Parent" は・が　"Child" に・を　(Causative verb) "Parent" makes/lets "Child" do ~

The "Child" most commonly takes に, but it may take を instead if 1) the child unconsciously or unwillingly performs the action; 2) the child is actually a thing with no will of its own; or 3) if you are using another に particle somewhere in the sentence. Similarly if the verb is transitive and を is being used for another object, you should use に. (*)

- よし　やってみよう - よつばがやる！よつばにやらせて！ - All right, let's give it a try. - Yotsuba will try! Let Yotsuba try!

(『よつばと！』 Yotsuba&!, vol. 8?? by Azuma Kiyohoko)

Causative Tense Conjugation (Standard)

る verbs: Replace the る with させる

食べる　→　食べさせる

う verbs: Replace the -u sound with -aせる

買う　→　買わせる　　読む　→　読ませる 行く　→　行かせる　　急ぐ　→　急がせる 立つ　→　立たせる　　死ぬ　→　死なせる 帰る　→　帰らせる　　遊ぶ　→　遊ばせる 話す　→　話させる

Irregular verbs:

する　→　させる 来る　→　こさせる

Once in the causative tense, these verbs all conjugate as regular る verbs.

Slang Variations

There are several variations on the standard conjugation patterns.

1) Shortened Conjugation

る verbs: Replace the る with さす

食べる　→　食べさす

う verbs: Replace the -u sound with -aす

買う　→　買わす 読む　→　読ます　…

Irregular verbs:

する　→　さす 来る　→　こさす

This form is much rarer than the original form, and may be seen in dialects like Kansai-ben. It is slang, but there are some words that have made it into standard Japanese: 泳がす (to make ~ swim), 沸かす (to boil ~), and 寝かす (to put ~ to sleep). (*)

2) さ入れ言葉

Unlike shortened conjugation, this conjugation is actually nonstandard and would be marked incorrect. But much like ら抜き is growing more common with potential verbs, many young people especially may incorrectly* add an extra さ into their conjugation of う verbs like so:

買う　→　買わさせる 読む　→　読まさせる

While it may not be in your best interest as a language learner to use さ入れ言葉, you may hear or see it used so it’s best to be aware of its existence. (*)

(*according to textbooks, but language is a constantly evolving creature so who are we to judge!)

Causative て ＋ Give/Receive Verbs

Combining the Causative tense in the て form with give/receive verbs is one easy clue that the causative is being used with the meaning of “Let” rather than “Make.” The speaker's role in the sentence is usually set as either the subject or the receiver by the very nature of give/receive verbs, so you’re not going to find too many counterexamples. (*) Here’s a breakdown of some combinations:

・　Causer が（私 - Doer に）〜させてくれる 　　（⇑Honorific: 〜させてくださる） You are being allowed to do something, and this carries the sense that you’re grateful. A negative question would be used to ask permission. 　　　　〜させてくれない？ 　　　　〜させてくれませんか？(Can’t I ...?) 　　　　〜させてください。(Please let me …)

・（私 - Causer が）Doer に 〜させてあげる 　　（⇓Casual: 〜させてやる） You allow someone to do something. やる makes the expression rougher, and is used mostly by men. 　　　　〜させてあげようか？(Just this once, I'll let you ...) 　　　　〜ないと...させてあげないよ 　　　　(If you don't ~, I won't let you ...)

・（私 - Doer が）Causer に 〜させてもらう 　　（⇑Honorific: 〜させていただく） Very similar to させてくれる, and describes an action you are allowed to do. However, note that the particles will be reversed since it is changed to “receiving!” It can also be used to ask for permission. 　　　　〜させてもらえない？(May I …?) 　　　　〜させていただけませんか？(May I …?) 　　　　〜させていただきます。(Allow me to…) 　　　　〜させていただいてありがとうございました。 　　　　　(Thank you for allowing me to … )

- それいぬ!? - なでさせてもらうか？ - …いい - That's a DOG?! - Shall we ask to pet it? - ...No, that's ok.

(『よつばと！』 Yotsuba&!, vol. 14 by Azuma Kiyohoko)

善逸さんは今日から訓練参加ですので　ご説明させていただきますね（キリッ） Because Zenitsu is joining our training starting today, allow me to explain. (Resolute)

(『鬼滅の刃』 Demon Slayer vol. 6 by Gotoge Koyoharu)

Because of the particle switch, させてもらう・いただく actually translates more naturally into the passive tense in English, since the focus of the sentence has been reversed to focus on the one who is being made to do something. While we can get around that dissonance by translating it as a request like "Please allow me to...", sometimes it can't really be helped. In the following example, in Nozaki's conversation with his new editor, the editor explains that he's already familiar with his work, so requesting permission would be unnatural--he's already read it. While Nozaki, who is wary of a new editor and startled by the news hasn't explicitly granted him that permission, the editor uses the causative voice with 頂く to emphasize his gratefulness:

- 夢野さんの「恋しよっ♡」読ませて頂いてます 鈴木くんは読者さんに人気ありますね（正統派ヒーローで） -（ドキッ）なっ - Mr. Yumeno, I was given the opportunity to read your manga, Let's Fall in Love ♡. Suzuki certainly is popular among readers (As a standard hero) - (Ba-bump) Wha--

(『月刊少女野崎くん』 Girl’s Monthly Nozaki-kun, vol. 4 by Izumi Tsubaki)

Causative ＋　てしまう

While allowing and forcing are the two main uses of the causative form, there is one other usage: the responsibility usage, often indicated by its combination with the てしまう (to regretfully allow something to happen) grammar. This version expresses the guilt of the subject (who is usually the speaker, but not always) in not being able to stop a sequence of events from happening.(*) They let this happen, and it's all their fault.

おれが気づかなかったせいで59人も死なせてしまった I let so many people die--fifty-nine people--all because I didn't notice.

(『不滅のあなたへ』 To Your Eternity, vol. 11, by Oima Yoshitoki)

J-Rock Examples:

完成させないでもっと良くして Without finishing it, make it better ［宇多田ヒカル - 光］