JLPT N4 Grammar
· Elementary
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· Elementary
make/let someone do
Category: Voice & Causative
The grammar pattern ～させる is used to express coercion (making someone do) or permission (letting someone do) something. It can be used to indicate that someone is forcing or allowing another person to perform an action. For example, "先生は学生に辞書を読ませる" means "The teacher makes the student read the dictionary". This pattern can also be used to indicate permission, such as "母は弟に部屋の掃除をさせる" meaning "The mother lets the brother clean the room". The nuance of this pattern can vary depending on the context and the relationship between the people involved.
| Form | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Godan verb | Change 'u' to 'a' and add 'seru' | iku -> ikaseru |
| Ichidan verb | Replace 'ru' with 'saseru' | taberu -> tabesaseru |
| Kuru and Gekiru | Change 'u' to 'a' and add 'seru' | kuru -> kaseru, gekiru -> gekaseru |
先生は学生に辞書を読ませる。
sensei wa gakusei ni jisho o yomaseru.
The teacher makes the student read the dictionary.
先生は (The teacher) + 学生に (to the student) + 辞書を (the dictionary) + 読ませる (to make read)
母は弟に部屋の掃除をさせる。
haha wa otouto ni heya no sōji o saseru.
The mother lets the brother clean the room.
母は (The mother) + 弟に (to the brother) + 部屋の掃除を (the room cleaning) +させる (to let)
彼は面白いことを言って、みんなを笑わせる。
kare wa omoshiroi koto o itte, minna o waraaseru.
He makes everyone laugh with his interesting story.
彼は (He) + 面白いことを (an interesting thing) + 言って (to say) + みんなを (everyone) + 笑わせる (to make laugh)
彼女は子供に絵を描かせた。
kanojo wa kodomo ni e o kakaseru.
She made the child draw a picture.
彼女は (She) + 子供に (to the child) + 絵を (a picture) + 描かせた (to make draw)
彼は友達に車を運転させる。
kare wa tomodachi ni kuruma o untensaseru.
He lets his friend drive the car.
彼は (He) + 友達に (to his friend) + 車を (the car) + 運転させる (to let drive)
The grammar pattern ～させる is used to express coercion or permission. It can be used in formal or informal situations, but the nuance of the pattern can vary depending on the context and the relationship between the people involved. This pattern is often used in situations where one person is forcing or allowing another person to perform an action. It can also be used to indicate permission, such as letting someone do something. The pattern can be used with both Godan and Ichidan verbs.
The grammar pattern ～させる is a causative ending, but it can be confused with the passive ending ～られる. Make sure to use the correct ending depending on the context.
The 'ni' marker is used to indicate the person being made to do something, while the 'o' marker is used to indicate the thing being made to do something. Make sure to use the correct marker depending on the context.
The grammar pattern ～させる is not a polite request form. Use the correct polite request form, such as ～てください or ～てくださいませんか, depending on the context.
Pay attention to the context and the relationship between the people involved. Make sure to use the correct causative or passive ending, and use the correct marker depending on the context. Also, be careful not to mistake 'saseru' for a polite request form.
先生は学生に辞書を______。
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