ISORI

〜せる / 〜させる

Conjugation:

make / let someone do

The causative: "make someone do" or "let someone do". Context tells you which one is meant.

Conjugation rules

  • For godan verbs, start from the ない form and replace ない with せる: 行(い)かない becomes 行(い)かせる.
  • For ichidan verbs, replace る with させる.
  • する becomes させる and 来(く)る becomes 来(こ)させる (irregular).
  • The result is an ichidan verb: 行(い)かせます, 行(い)かせた.
  • When the verb already has an object with を, mark the person made or allowed to act with に: 子供(こども)に野菜(やさい)を食(た)べさせる. With verbs that have no object, the person is usually marked with を: 子供(こども)を行(い)かせる.

Examples

godan
行(い)く(to go)行(い)かせる
待(ま)つ(to wait)待(ま)たせる
ichidan
食(た)べる(to eat)食(た)べさせる
irregular
する(to do)させる
来(く)る(to come)来(こ)させる

Example sentences

母(はは)は弟(おとうと)に野菜(やさい)を食(た)べさせました。

My mother made my little brother eat vegetables.

お待(ま)たせしました。

Sorry to have kept you waiting.

Notes

Similar meaning