The core meaning of causative is "make/let someone do something," but if that's all you know, you'll lose points on exams.
Try this question:
この映画は多くの観客を＿＿。
A. 泣いた B. 泣かれた C. 泣かせた D. 泣いている
The answer is C. 泣かせた. Why not passive? Because "the movie made the audience cry" is inducement, not "was cried."
5 Uses of Causative
1. Command — Forcing from above
A superior/elder forces a subordinate/junior to do something.
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監督は選手にグラウンドを10周走らせた。 → The coach made the players run 10 laps around the field.
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上司は部下に報告書を書き直させた。 → The boss made the subordinate rewrite the report.
2. Permission — Allowing what they want to do
The other person wants to do something, and you agree — "OK, I'll let you."
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父は娘に好きな服を選ばせた。 → The father let his daughter choose the clothes she liked.
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先生は体調の悪い学生に早退させた。 → The teacher let the sick student leave early.
3. Non-interference — Letting them be
The other person is doing something, and you don't stop them — "let them be."
- 母は子供を好きなだけ遊ばせた。 → The mother let the children play as much as they wanted.
4. Inducement — Things causing reactions in people
The subject is a "thing" (book, movie, event), causing people to have a reaction.
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あの映画は観客を泣かせた。 → That movie made the audience cry.
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彼の失言はみんなを怒らせてしまった。 → His careless remark made everyone angry.
5. Transitivizing intransitive verbs — Adding control
Through causative, intransitive verbs that only describe states gain the ability to "exert influence on something."
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彼女は仕事と育児を両立させている。 → She is balancing work and childcare.
両立する is intransitive (things balance themselves). Adding causative makes it transitive (a person actively balances them).
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新しい政策で経済を成長させる。 → Grow the economy through new policies.
The Particle Secret: に vs を
The trickiest part of causative sentences is the particle. The rules are actually clear:
| Original Verb Type | Causee's Particle | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Transitive | Causee uses に | 母は息子に野菜を食べさせた。 |
| Intransitive | Causee uses を | 先生は学生を立たせた。 |
Why? Transitive verbs already have a を (野菜を食べる). You can't have two を's, so the causee must use に. Intransitive verbs have no を, so the causee can freely use を.
Exception: に vs を with intransitive = Permission vs Command
A few common intransitive verbs (入る, 行く, 来る) can use the particle to distinguish nuance:
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生徒に教室に入らせた。 → The teacher let the students enter the classroom. (Permission — students wanted to enter, teacher agreed)
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生徒を教室に入らせた。 → The teacher made the students enter the classroom. (Command — students didn't want to, teacher forced them)
Note: This distinction only applies to a few intransitive verbs, not all.
Causative ≠ Use Freely
Causative has one major prerequisite: superior to subordinate.
| Relationship | Can use causative? | Correct expression |
|---|---|---|
| Teacher → Student | ✅ させる | 先生は学生に掃除させた。 |
| Boss → Subordinate | ✅ させる | 部長は社員に残業させた。 |
| Subordinate → Boss | ❌ | てもらう / ていただく |
| Me → Manager | ❌ させる | ○ 部長にお茶を入れていただいた。 |
If you use causative toward a superior, it becomes "I ordered the manager to make tea" — extremely rude.
Self-Test
Q1. Which sentence uses the "inducement" meaning of causative?
A. 先生は学生にレポートを書かせた。 B. この話は子供を怖がらせた。 C. 母は弟に部屋を片付けさせた。
Show answer
B. The subject is この話 (a thing), causing the child to feel scared — that's inducement. A is command, C is also command.
Q2. Fill in the correct particle: 母は子供＿＿公園で遊ばせた。
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を. 遊ぶ is intransitive, so the causee takes を. 母は子供を公園で遊ばせた。
Q3. Why is this sentence unnatural? 「私は社長にコピーをさせた。」
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Causative is superior-to-subordinate. Using causative from 私 toward 社長 means "I ordered the CEO to make copies" — extremely rude and unrealistic. Should be: 社長にコピーをしていただいた。
Summary
- Causative has 5 uses: command, permission, non-interference, inducement, transitivizing intransitives
- Particle selection: transitive → causee uses に; intransitive → causee uses を
- Causative is only superior-to-subordinate; for subordinate-to-superior, use てもらう/ていただく
- When a thing is the subject, causative expresses "inducement" — things causing reactions in people