causative N4 common casualpolitewritten
せる — causative auxiliary (make/let someone do) for 五段 verbs
せる
Builds on ない形
Meaning
- make / let someone do ~ — the causative for 五段 (consonant-stem) verbs
Key sentence
先生は学生に本を読ませた。
The teacher had the students read a book.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Godan verb (あ-row stem, as in ない-form) | V-(a) + せる | 書く → 書かせる; 読む → 読ませる |
Examples
母は弟に部屋を掃除させた。
Mom made my little brother clean his room.
子どもを公園で遊ばせた。
I let the kids play in the park.
すみません、ちょっと待たせてしまいました。
Sorry, I've kept you waiting a bit.
When you can't use it
- Coercion ('make') marks the doer with を (子どもを行かせる); permission ('let') often uses に (子どもに行かせる). Which one — make or let — is read from particles and context.
Easily confused with
See せる in real sentences
Jengo shows せる 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.