causative N3 common casualpolitewritten
させられる — be made/forced to do
させられる
Builds on させる
Meaning
- be made to ~ / be forced to ~ — the causative-passive: someone makes you do it, and you're the put-upon subject
Key sentence
子どものとき、毎日ピアノを練習させられた。
As a child, I was made to practice piano every day.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ichidan verb (causative + passive) | stem + させられる | 食べる → 食べさせられる |
| Godan verb | V-(a) + される (contracted from せられる) | 飲む → 飲まされる; 待つ → 待たされる |
Examples
飲み会で先輩にお酒を飲まされた。
At the drinking party, my senior made me drink.
一時間も待たされて、本当に疲れた。
I was kept waiting a whole hour and was really worn out.
会議で長い説明を聞かされた。
I was made to sit through a long explanation at the meeting.
When you can't use it
- The subject is the one forced to act and almost always finds it unwelcome — させられる carries an inherent put-upon, reluctant feeling. It is not used for things you were happy to do.
Easily confused with
させる させる is told from the maker's side ('I made him do it'); させられる flips to the doer's side ('I was made to do it'). Same event, opposite viewpoint. 〜られる (passive) Plain passive られる = the subject is acted upon (ほめられた — was praised). させられる = the subject is made to act themselves (やらされた — was made to do it). The causative sits inside before the passive.
Notes
- 五段 verbs usually contract せられる → される (飲ませられる → 飲まされる), except す-ending verbs like 話す, which keep させられる (話させられる) to avoid a double さ.
See させられる in real sentences
Jengo shows させられる the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.