Genki Grammar #125: Mastering Causative Sentences

Introduction

Causative sentences in Japanese let you describe situations where someone makes or lets another person perform an action. This grammar is useful for talking about giving instructions or allowing someone to do something. In this post, we’ll explain how to form causative verbs, when to use them, and provide clear examples to help you understand.

What It Means

Causative sentences describe actions in which:

1. Someone makes another person do something.
2. Someone lets another person do something.

This structure is often used to show control, responsibility, or granting permission.

When to Use It

Use causative sentences in these scenarios:

1. Expressing authority or control:
   • When you want to show that someone is forcing another to act.
     • Example: 先生は学生に宿題をさせました。
       (Sensei wa gakusei ni shukudai o sasemashita) The teacher made the students do homework.
2. Granting permission:
   • When you allow someone to perform an action.
     • Example: お母さんは子供に外で遊ばせました。
       (Okaasan wa kodomo ni soto de asobasemashita) The mother let the children play outside.
3. Explaining who caused an action or who is responsible for it:
   • To indicate that someone caused a specific action to occur, intentionally or unintentionally.
     • Example: 私はその子供を泣かせてしまいました。
       (Watashi wa sono kodomo o nakasete shimaimashita) I accidentally made the child cry.

Causative sentences are widely used in daily life to clarify roles, authority, and actions between people.

How to Form the Causative

Here’s how to create causative verbs:

1. ru-verbs: Drop the final -ru and add -sase-ru.
   • 食べる (taberu) → 食べさせる (tabesaseru) – “to make/let someone eat.”
2. u-verbs: Drop the final -u and add -ase-ru.
   • 行く (iku) → 行かせる (ikaseru) – “to make/let someone go.”
   • 話す (hanasu) → 話させる (hanasaseru) – “to make/let someone speak.”
3. Irregular verbs:
   • する (suru) → させる (saseru) – “to make/let someone do.”
   • くる (kuru) → こさせる (kosaseru) – “to make/let someone come.”

Basic Sentence Structure

The basic structure of a causative sentence is:
Director は Cast に Action (causative form)

Example:

• 先生は学生に会話を覚えさせました。
  (Sensei wa gakusei ni kaiwa o oboesasemashita) The teacher made the students memorize the conversation.

Key Points:

1. Director: The one deciding the action, marked with は or が.
2. Cast: The one performing the action, usually marked with に.
3. Action: Described using the causative verb.

Special Cases with を

In some cases, the cast is marked with を instead of に. These are exceptions:

1. Actions like crying or laughing that happen naturally as a reaction:
   • 私はその子供を泣かせてしまいました。
     (Watashi wa sono kodomo o nakasete shimaimashita) I accidentally made the child cry.
   • ジョーンズさんはおもしろい映画を作ってみんなを笑わせました。
     (Joonzu-san wa omoshiroi eiga o tsukutte minna o warawasemashita) Mr. Jones made funny movies and made everyone laugh.
2. Verbs that normally dont’t use を:
   Some verbs in Japanese, like 行く (iku, “to go”) or 座る (suwaru, “to sit”), usually don’t use the particle を in sentences. However, when these verbs are turned into their causative forms, the particle を can be used to mark the person being made to perform the action.
   • 先生は私をトイレに行かせました。
     (Sensei wa watashi o toire ni ikasemashita) The professor made me go to the bathroom.
   • その人は私をそこに座らせました。
     (Sono hito wa watashi o soko ni suwarasemashita) That person made me sit there.

Ambiguity of Causative Sentences

The meaning of a causative sentence—whether it means “make” or “let”—depends on the context and how the sentence is used. For example:

• お父さんは子供に野菜を食べさせました。
  (Otousan wa kodomo ni yasai o tabesasemashita)
  • This could mean:
    1. The father made his child eat vegetables (the child didn’t want to eat, but was forced).
    2. The father let his child eat vegetables (the child wanted to eat, and was allowed).

To understand the true meaning, you need to consider:

1. The situation: Are the children reluctant or eager?
2. The tone: Is the speaker talking about a strict or permissive parent?
3. Additional context: Is there more information in the conversation?

By combining these clues, you can figure out whether the causative sentence means “make” or “let.”

Examples

1. ジョンさんは友だちに車を運転させました。
   (Jon-san wa tomodachi ni kuruma o untensasemashita) John made/let his friend drive the car.
2. 先生は学生に宿題をさせました。
   (Sensei wa gakusei ni shukudai o sasemashita) The teacher made the students do homework.
3. お母さんは子供に外で遊ばせました。
   (Okaasan wa kodomo ni soto de asobasemashita) The mother let the children play outside.

Notes

• Verbs Ending in う: Verbs like 買う (kau) gain a “w” in their causative form: 買わせる (kawaseru).
• Causative vs. Passive: Remember, causative verbs show “making or letting someone do something,” while passive verbs show “when something is done to someone.”

Conclusion

Causative sentences are an essential part of expressing authority, permission, or causation in Japanese. By mastering this structure, you’ll be able to describe relationships and actions clearly. Practice forming sentences with different verbs, and soon causative sentences will become a natural part of your Japanese conversation skills.

Recommended Resources

For a deeper understanding of Causative Sentences, I recommend A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar. This book explains the causative form in detail under the section Appendixes1: Basic Conjugations, providing step-by-step guidance on how to form and use it. If you’re looking for more examples and a comprehensive explanation of causative verbs, this book is an excellent resource to enhance your learning.