Make Someone Do
The causative form expressing "make someone do" indicates forcing or strongly compelling someone to perform an action. This usage emphasizes authority, control, or obligation.
Basic pattern:
[Person A]が [Person B]を/に [Verb-causative]
親が子供に宿題をさせる
"Parent makes child do homework"
Authority figure forces action
Obligation imposed
Particle Choice
を vs に
With intransitive verbs (を):
親が子供を行かせる
"Parent makes child go"
With transitive verbs (に):
親が子供に本を読ませる
"Parent makes child read book"
Intransitive: を marks person
Transitive: に marks person, を marks object
Important distinction
Authority Relationships
Who can make whom
Common authority patterns:
親が子供を... "Parent makes child..."
先生が生徒を... "Teacher makes student..."
上司が部下を... "Boss makes subordinate..."
法律が国民を... "Law makes citizens..."
Hierarchical relationships
Power dynamics
Social structure
Force and Compulsion
Strong causation
母が子供に野菜を食べさせた
"Mother made child eat vegetables"
Implies: Against child's will
Force applied
Strong insistence
会社が社員を残業させる
"Company makes employees work overtime"
Obligation
No choice
Must comply
Negative Nuance
Often unwilling
Causative "make" implies:
- Reluctance on part of person made to act
- Force or pressure applied
- Against natural desire
- Obligation, not choice
したくないけど、させられる
"Don't want to, but made to do it"
Negative feeling common
With Work and Duty
Professional contexts
上司が部下に報告書を書かせる
"Boss makes subordinate write report"
先生が生徒に掃除をさせる
"Teacher makes students clean"
会社が新人を研修に行かせる
"Company makes new employees attend training"
Work obligations
Duty assignment
Professional hierarchy
Physical Actions
Making someone move
医者が患者を歩かせる
"Doctor makes patient walk"
コーチが選手を走らせる
"Coach makes athletes run"
親が子供を早く寝させる
"Parent makes child sleep early"
Physical compliance
Training contexts
Health reasons
Educational Settings
School examples
先生が生徒に宿題をさせる
"Teacher makes students do homework"
親が子供を塾に行かせる
"Parent makes child go to cram school"
教授が学生にレポートを書かせる
"Professor makes students write report"
Educational authority
Learning obligations
Study requirements
Reluctant Compliance
Unwilling actions
嫌がる子供を歯医者に行かせた
"Made reluctant child go to dentist"
泣いている子供を学校に行かせる
"Make crying child go to school"
Explicit unwillingness
Forced compliance
Parental authority
Punishment Context
Disciplinary actions
先生が生徒を廊下に立たせた
"Teacher made student stand in hallway"
親が子供を部屋に戻らせた
"Parent made child go back to room"
Punishment
Discipline
Consequence
Legal and Societal
Laws and rules
法律が国民に税金を払わせる
"Law makes citizens pay taxes"
会社が社員にルールを守らせる
"Company makes employees follow rules"
Societal obligation
Legal requirement
Mandatory compliance
Contrast with Permission
"Make" vs "let"
"Make" (force):
親が子供を勉強させる
"Parent makes child study"
Against will, forced
"Let" (permission):
親が子供を遊ばせる
"Parent lets child play"
Allowed, permitted
Same form, different interpretation
Context crucial
Expressing Unwillingness
Speaker's feelings
嫌だけど、親に勉強させられた
"Didn't want to, but was made to study by parents"
行きたくなかったのに、行かされた
"Didn't want to go, but was made to"
Passive causative shows victimhood
Reluctance emphasized
Against speaker's will
Responsibility Placement
Who's responsible
親の責任で子供を学校に行かせる
"Parent's responsibility to make child go to school"
上司の指示で部下を働かせる
"Boss's order to make subordinate work"
Authority bears responsibility
Control implies accountability
Negative Consequences
Making someone suffer
長時間働かせすぎた
"Made (someone) work too long"
無理やり食べさせた
"Forcibly made (someone) eat"
過度な運動をさせた
"Made (someone) exercise excessively"
Excessive force
Potential harm
Ethical concerns
With してもらう Alternative
More polite option
Instead of forceful causative:
させる "make do"
→ してもらう "have someone do"
子供に掃除をさせる (forceful)
子供に掃除をしてもらう (requesting)
してもらう softer
More cooperative
Less forceful
In Passive Form
Being made to do
Active causative:
親が子供を勉強させる
"Parent makes child study"
Passive causative:
子供が親に勉強させられる
"Child is made to study by parent"
Victim perspective
Emphasis on being forced
Common complaint form
Time Duration
How long made to do
3時間も待たせた
"Made (someone) wait for 3 whole hours"
一晩中勉強させられた
"Was made to study all night"
Duration emphasized
Extent of obligation
Formal Situations
Professional language
会社は社員に規則を守らせます
"Company makes employees follow regulations"
政府は国民に法律を守らせる
"Government makes citizens obey laws"
Formal contexts
Official statements
Institutional authority
Common Verbs Used
Frequent causatives
働かせる "make work"
勉強させる "make study"
待たせる "make wait"
行かせる "make go"
やめさせる "make quit"
帰らせる "make return"
従わせる "make obey"
謝らせる "make apologize"
Common in daily life
Authority contexts
Learn these patterns
Common Mistakes
❌ Wrong particle
✗ 子供を本を読ませる
✓ Correct particles
✓ 子供に本を読ませる
❌ Confusing make/let
Context matters for interpretation
✓ Understand nuance
"Make" implies force
❌ Using for polite requests
Causative too forceful
✓ Use てもらえますか for requests
More appropriate politeness
Understanding authority
Choosing right structure
Cultural awareness
Practical Examples
Real-life making
母は毎日子供に野菜を食べさせる
"Mother makes child eat vegetables every day"
先生は生徒を静かにさせた
"Teacher made students be quiet"
会社は新入社員に研修を受けさせる
"Company makes new employees take training"
親は子供を早く寝かせる
"Parents make children sleep early"
コーチは選手に100回練習させた
"Coach made athletes practice 100 times"
上司は部下に残業させた
"Boss made subordinate work overtime"
医者は患者に薬を飲ませる
"Doctor makes patient take medicine"
Daily authority
Common situations
Natural usage
Hierarchical relationships
Obligation contexts