Causative-passive

Level 3Sounds Like shiekiukemi

The Causative-Passive (使役受身) literally means 'to be made to do.' It is used when someone forces you to perform an action, often implying you feel annoyed, troubled, or reluctant about it.

How It Works

The Causative-Passive is a key intermediate structure. It shifts the focus to the person performing the forced action.

1. Conjugation Rules:

  • Group 1 (Godan): Change the final vowel to the 'a' row and add 〜せられる. In speech, this is almost always shortened to 〜される (e.g., 行く → 行かされる).
    Exception: Verbs ending in 〜す (like 話す) cannot be shortened; they must use 〜させられる.
  • Group 2 (Ichidan): Remove 〜る and add 〜させられる (e.g., 食べる → 食べさせられる).
  • Group 3 (Irregular): する becomes させられる; 来る（くる） becomes こさせられる.

2. Sentence Structure:
The person who forces the action is marked with the particle に. The subject (the one forced) is marked with は or が.

3. Nuance:
While usually negative (forced labor, unwanted chores), it can also describe spontaneous emotions triggered by something, such as being 'made to think' (考えさせられた) by a moving book or movie.

Examples (4)

  1. 子供の時、母に嫌いな野菜を食べさせられました。

    When I was a child, I was made to eat vegetables I hated by my mother.

    Word by Word: Child time, mother by, hated vegetables (object) was made to eat.

    This uses the Group 2 verb 食べる in the causative-passive form to show the speaker had no choice but to eat.

  2. 昨日は上司に３時間も残業させられた。

    Yesterday, I was forced to work three hours of overtime by my boss.

    Word by Word: Yesterday, boss by, 3 hours even, overtime was made to do.

    The verb する becomes させられた. The particle も emphasizes that three hours felt like a long time.

  3. お酒を飲みたくなかったのに、無理に飲まされました。

    Even though I didn't want to drink alcohol, I was forced to drink.

    Word by Word: Alcohol (object) didn't want to drink despite, forcibly was made to drink.

    飲む is a Group 1 verb. The shortened form 飲まされる is used here, which is very common in daily conversation.

  4. この映画には、命の大切さについて考えさせられた。

    This movie made me think about the importance of life.

    Word by Word: This movie by, life's importance about, was made to think.

    This is the 'spontaneous emotion' usage. It doesn't mean the movie literally forced the speaker, but rather that the speaker couldn't help but reflect on the topic.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the shortened form for verbs ending in 〜す.

    先生に一時間も話さされた。
    先生に一時間も話させられた。

    For Group 1 verbs ending in 〜す (like 話す), you cannot use the shortened 〜される form. You must use the full 〜させられる form to avoid phonological confusion.

  • Confusing the causer particle.

    上司を掃除させられました。
    上司に掃除させられました。

    The person who exerts the pressure or gives the order must be marked with the particle に, not を.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Causative-passiveLevel 3

Learn This First

The causative-passive (使役受身) is a complex verb form that combines the causative form ('to make someone do') with the passive voice ('to be done'). To understand and form it, you must first be comfortable with both causative and passive conjugations, as well as the general rules for verb groups.