Japanese Causative Form with the particle に and を

Last time, you learned how to make passive sentences: 観光かんこう客きゃくに道みちを聞きかれました (I was asked the way by a tourist). The particle に works to indicate the doer in this context. In other words, subjects and doers are different in passive sentences. In this lesson, you will tackle a similar structure: causative sentences.

Explanation for How Japanese Causative Form Works

In English, you express causative sentences by using causative verbs such as “let / make someone do something.” However, Japanese doesn’t have those kinds of verbs. Instead, we express causative sentences by conjugating verbs.

Conjugation Rule

Ru-verb: To Replace ru with saseru

U-verbs: To Replace u with aseru

Two Exceptions

With u-verbs, you may sometimes hear this kind of conjugation: 書かかさせる and 立たたさせる. The additional さ is grammatically wrong, but recently used by some people in conversation.

Sentence Patterns

With Transitive Verbs

With transitive verbs, subjects indicate direction-givers and the particle に indicate doers. Since we use the same form to express “to let” and “to make,” you have to judge which function it works as depending on context. Please pay attention to omission in Japanese sentences. Even doers and objects can be omitted when they are clear enough.

With Intransitive Verbs

This is a little more difficult. With intransitive verbs, doers can be expressed with the particles に and を. The difference is that if there is a will of doers, the particle に is suitable and indicate “to let”. If there is only a will of direction-givers, the particle を is used to indicate “to make.” Be careful; this rule is always not applicable. Context is more important.

When you let/make inanimate things do something, you use the particle を because inanimate things don’t have their own will, e.g. 携帯けいたいを光ひからせた (I made my mobile flash). However, we can treat some of them as animate things.

When you use the particle を as different functions, e.g. locations to pass, you have to use the particle に for doers even if you try to express “to make.” It’s because multiple use of the same particle can make confusion.

This is not related to particles. However, in the previous lesson, you learned that intransitive verbs indicate natural actions, e.g. パソコンが壊こわれる (The PC will break), and transitive verbs indicate intentional actions, e.g. パソコンを壊こわす (I will break the PC). Even if intransitive verbs don’t have their counterparts in transitive verbs, you can express similar things by using the causative form.

Causative-Passive Form

All Verbs: to Replace ru with rareru

This is a little tricky, but there is another form in u-verbs. You can make the causative-passive form by replacing せる with される, e.g. 書かかされる and 話はなさされる. Although both of the forms sounds natural, verbs which end with す generally conjugate with the first pattern because of the simplicity in terms of pronunciation.

Sentence Pattern

The function is to express "be forced to do" and there is no nuance of "let." In causative-passive sentences, subjects indicate doers and the particle に indicates direction-givers. That’s opposite to the causative sentences. Again, direction-givers and doers can be omitted if the context is clear enough.

Summary

1. With the causative form, subjects indicate direction-givers and に indicates doers.
2. With intransitive verbs, に indicates “to let” and を indicates “to make.”
3. The causative-passive form indicates “to be forced to do something.”
4. With the causative-passive form, subjects indicate doers and に indicates direction-givers.

You have learned the three major verb forms: potential, passive, and causative. Their functions are totally different, but the conjugation and the structure are similar. Don’t be confused with the usages. Next, you will deal with one of the Japanese unique concepts: receiving and giving: あげる, くれる, and もらう.