Causative-Passive Form (〜させられる)

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to form and use the causative-passive form (〜させられる) to express "being made to do something" or "being forced to do something" by another person.

The causative-passive form combines two ideas:

• Causative: making someone do something
• Passive: receiving an action

When you put them together, 〜させられる means "to be made to do (something)" or "to be forced to do (something)". It describes a situation where someone else causes you to perform an action, and you are the receiver of that pressure.

Example feeling:
"I was made to eat vegetables by my mother."
"I was forced to work overtime by my boss."

Step 1: Start with the dictionary form of a verb

Take any verb in its plain dictionary form.

Step 2: Change to the causative form

• Godan verbs (う, く, ぐ, す, つ, ぬ, ぶ, む, る endings):
  Change the last syllable to its あ段 (a-dan) equivalent + せる
  Example: 書く (kaku) → 書かせる (kakaseru) "make someone write"段書

  段書

• Ichidan verbs (る ending, drop る):
  Drop る + させる
  Example: 食べる (taberu) → 食べさせる (tabesaseru) "make someone eat"食

  食

• Irregular verbs:
  する → させる (saseru)
  来る (kuru) → 来させる (kosaseru)来

  来

Step 3: Change the causative form to the passive form

Take the causative form (〜せる / 〜させる) and change it to passive:

• 〜せる → 〜せられる
• 〜させる → 〜させられる

Final result: 〜させられる

Quick Formation Table

*Note: For godan verbs ending in す, the causative-passive often contracts:

• 話す (hanasu) → 話させられる (hanasaserareru) → sometimes 話さされる (hanasasareru) in casual speech話

Example 1

母に野菜を食べさせられました。
Haha ni yasai o tabesaseraremashita.
"I was made to eat vegetables by my mother."母野菜食

Example 2

先生に宿題をたくさんさせられました。
Sensei ni shukudai o takusan saseraremashita.
"I was made to do a lot of homework by the teacher."先生宿題

Example 3

毎日、上司に残業させられます。
Mainichi, jōshi ni zangyō saseraremasu.
"Every day, I am made to work overtime by my boss."毎日上司残業

Example 4

友達に長い電話をさせられました。
Tomodachi ni nagai denwa o saseraremashita.
"I was made to have a long phone call by my friend."友達長電話

❌ Using the passive form alone
先生に宿題をされました。
This means "The teacher did homework (to me)" — not "I was made to do homework."先生宿題

✅ Use causative-passive
先生に宿題をさせられました。
"I was made to do homework by the teacher."先生宿題

❌ Confusing with causative
先生に宿題をさせました。
This means "I made the teacher do homework" — opposite meaning!先生宿題

Fill in the blanks with the correct causative-passive form.

1. 毎朝、母に牛乳を___________。 (飲む・のむ)
   Maiasa, haha ni gyūnyū o ___________. (nomu)
   → 飲まされる (nomasareru)毎朝母牛乳飲

   毎朝母牛乳飲

2. 先生に漢字を100回___________。 (書く・かく)
   Sensei ni kanji o 100-kai ___________. (kaku)
   → 書かせられる (kakaserareru)先生漢字回書

   先生漢字回書

3. 父に部屋の掃除を___________。 (する)
   Chichi ni heya no sōji o ___________. (suru)
   → させられる (saserareru)父部屋掃除

   父部屋掃除

4. 友達に待た___________。 (待つ・まつ)
   Tomodachi ni mata___________. (matsu)
   → 待たされる (matasareru)友達待

   友達待

Summary:
The causative-passive form (〜させられる) expresses "being made to do something" by someone else. It combines the causative (making someone act) with the passive (receiving the action). Key points:

• Godan verbs: change to あ段 + せられる (often contracts to される)段
• Ichidan verbs: drop る + させられる
• Irregular verbs: する → させられる, 来る → こさせられる来

Next Step:
Practice using this form in real situations. Try describing things your parents, teachers, or boss make you do. Then move on to learning the causative-receptive form (〜させてもらう) to express "being allowed to do something" — a more polite alternative.