Start with a question:
What is the causative-passive of "taberu"?
A. tabesaseru B. taberareru C. tabesaserareru D. tabesareru
The answer is C. tabesaserareru. Ichidan verbs only have the long form -- they cannot be shortened. If you're unsure how to conjugate, read on.
Three Voices, Three Sets of Rules
Japanese voice conjugation has three types: causative, passive, and causative-passive. All of them are based on verb classification.
The Basics: Three Verb Types
| Type | How to identify | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Godan (u-verbs) | Ending is in the u-row (ku, su, tsu, nu, mu, bu, ru, u) | kaku, yomu, matsu |
| Ichidan (ru-verbs) | Ends in ru, preceded by i-row or e-row kana | taberu, miru, okiru |
| Irregular | Only two | suru, kuru |
Step 1: Causative (saseru / seru)
Causative = making someone do something.
| Type | Rule | Dictionary form -> Causative |
|---|---|---|
| Godan | u-row -> a-row + seru | kaku -> kakaseru |
| yomu -> yomaseru | ||
| matsu -> mataseru | ||
| asobu -> asobaseru | ||
| iku -> ikaseru | ||
| Ichidan | Drop ru + saseru | taberu -> tabesaseru |
| miru -> misaseru | ||
| ka-hen | Special | kuru -> kosaseru |
| sa-hen | Special | suru -> saseru |
Mnemonic: Godan shifts to a-row and adds "seru." Ichidan drops ru and adds "saseru."
Causative Particle Rules
Which particle marks "the person being made to do something"? It depends on whether the original verb is transitive or intransitive:
| Original verb | Particle for causee | Why | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intransitive | wo | No wo-object exists, so it's available | haha wa kodomo wo asobaseru. |
| Transitive | ni | Already has a wo-object; can't have two | haha wa kodomo ni yasai wo tabesaseru. |
In one sentence: a sentence cannot have two wo's.
Step 2: Passive (reru / rareru)
Passive = having something done to you.
| Type | Rule | Dictionary form -> Passive |
|---|---|---|
| Godan | u-row -> a-row + reru | kaku -> kakareru |
| yomu -> yomareru | ||
| fumu -> fumareru | ||
| nusumu -> nusumareru | ||
| Ichidan | Drop ru + rareru | taberu -> taberareru |
| homeru -> homerareru | ||
| ka-hen | Special | kuru -> korareru |
| sa-hen | Special | suru -> sareru |
Mnemonic: Godan shifts to a-row and adds "reru." Ichidan drops ru and adds "rareru."
Notice the pattern is almost identical to causative -- both start by shifting to the a-row. The only difference is whether you add "seru" or "reru."
Step 3: Causative-Passive (saserareru)
Causative-passive = being forced to do something. It combines causative + passive:
First make causative -> then treat the causative form as an ichidan verb and add passive
| Type | Dictionary -> Causative -> Causative-passive |
|---|---|
| Godan | kaku -> kakaseru -> kakaserareru |
| yomu -> yomaseru -> yomaserareru | |
| matsu -> mataseru -> mataserareru | |
| nomu -> nomaseru -> nomaserareru | |
| Ichidan | taberu -> tabesaseru -> tabesaserareru |
| miru -> misaseru -> misaserareru | |
| ka-hen | kuru -> kosaseru -> kosaserareru |
| sa-hen | suru -> saseru -> saserareru |
The Short Form (Godan verbs only)
The full causative-passive of godan verbs is very long (kakaserareru = 7 morae), so spoken Japanese and exams often use the contracted form:
kakaserareru -> kakasareru (drop the "ra" from "serare")
| Dictionary | Causative-passive (long) | Causative-passive (short) |
|---|---|---|
| kaku | kakaserareru | kakasareru |
| yomu | yomaserareru | yomasareru |
| matsu | mataserareru | matasareru |
| nomu | nomaserareru | nomasareru |
| iku | ikaserareru | ikasareru |
Important: The short form only works for godan verbs. Ichidan verbs (tabesaserareru) and irregular verbs cannot be shortened.
Complete Reference Table
All conjugations in one place:
| Dictionary | Causative | Passive | Caus-pass (long) | Caus-pass (short) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Godan | kaku | kakaseru | kakareru | kakaserareru | kakasareru |
| nomu | nomaseru | nomareru | nomaserareru | nomasareru | |
| matsu | mataseru | matareru | mataserareru | matasareru | |
| asobu | asobaseru | asobareru | asobaserareru | asobasareru | |
| Ichidan | taberu | tabesaseru | taberareru | tabesaserareru | -- |
| miru | misaseru | mirareru | misaserareru | -- | |
| ka-hen | kuru | kosaseru | korareru | kosaserareru | -- |
| sa-hen | suru | saseru | sareru | saserareru | -- |
Decision Flowchart for Exams
When you encounter a voice conjugation question on a test:
- Identify the verb type (godan / ichidan / irregular)
- Identify the target voice (causative / passive / causative-passive)
- Godan: shift to a-row first, then attach the appropriate suffix
- Ichidan: drop ru first, then attach the appropriate suffix
- For causative-passive of godan verbs, prefer the short form
Example Sentences
Causative
-
Hahaoya wa kodomo wo niwa de asobaseru. -> The mother lets her child play in the garden. (Intransitive -> person marked with wo)
-
Watashi wa buka ni kopii saseru. -> I have my subordinate make copies. (Transitive -> person marked with ni)
Passive
-
Sensei ni homeraremashita. -> I was praised by the teacher.
-
Densha de tonari no hito ni ashi wo fumaremashita. -> My foot was stepped on by the person next to me on the train.
Causative-Passive
-
Buka wa buchou ni sake wo nomasareru. -> The subordinate is forced to drink by the department head. (Short form)
-
Sono kodomo wa hahaoya ni ninjin wo tabesaserareta. -> That child was forced to eat carrots by their mother. (Ichidan -> long form only)
Self-Check
Q1. What is the short causative-passive of "matsu"?
Show answer
Matasareru. Matsu (godan) -> a-row + sareru = matasareru.
Q2. Can you shorten the causative-passive of "taberu"?
Show answer
No. Taberu is an ichidan verb. Only godan verbs have the short form. The answer is tabesaserareru only.
Q3. Fill in the blank: Kodomo wo chikaku no suupaa ni ____masu. (iku -> causative)
Show answer
Ikasemasu. Iku (godan) -> a-row + seru = ikaseru. The child is the causee of the intransitive verb "iku," so they're marked with "wo."
Q4. Express "I was forced to rewrite the report many times by my section chief" (causative-passive of kaku):
Show answer
Kachou ni repooto wo nando mo kakasaremashita or kakaseraremashita. Kaku (godan) -- both long and short forms are correct.
Summary
- Causative: godan -> a-row + seru; ichidan -> drop ru + saseru
- Passive: godan -> a-row + reru; ichidan -> drop ru + rareru
- Causative-passive = causative first, then passive
- Godan verbs have a short form (serareru -> sareru); ichidan verbs do not
- Causative particles: intransitive uses wo, transitive uses ni -- one sentence cannot have two wo's