Diving into Japanese verb conjugations can feel like exploring a vast ocean of grammar. After mastering the basics like the passive (～られる) and causative (～させる) forms, you’ll eventually encounter a powerful combination of the two: the Causative Passive. It might sound intimidating, but this form is essential for expressing a specific, and very human, experience: being forced or made to do something against your will.

The Causative Passive, known in Japanese as 使役受け身 (shieki ukemi), is the voice of the unwilling participant. It’s the grammar you use when your boss makes you work overtime, your mom makes you eat your vegetables, or your friends make you sing karaoke. This article will demystify this complex-sounding tense, break down its conjugation, and show you how to use it to express your own reluctant experiences.

Understanding the Causative Passive

At its core, the Causative Passive is a hybrid form. It merges the meaning of two other forms you may already know:

  • The Causative Form (～させる): Expresses making or letting someone do something. (e.g., 食べさせる – to make someone eat)
  • The Passive Form (～られる): Expresses being on the receiving end of an action. (e.g., 食べられる – to be eaten)

When you combine them, you get a new meaning: to be made to do something. The subject of the sentence is the one who is being forced, and the sentence often carries a nuance of annoyance, inconvenience, or suffering. It’s the grammatical equivalent of saying, “I had to do it, and I wasn’t thrilled about it.”

Causative: 部長は私を残業させた。
Buchō wa watashi o zangyō saseta.
The manager made me work overtime.
(Focus is on the manager’s action)

Causative Passive: 私は部長に残業させられた。
Watashi wa buchō ni zangyō saserareta.
I was made to work overtime by the manager.
(Focus is on my suffering/experience)

 

How to Form the Causative Passive

Conjugating into this form is a straightforward, multi-step process that depends on the verb group. Let’s break it down.

Conjugating the Causative Passive for Godan Verbs (う-verbs)

For Godan verbs, you change the final ‘u’ vowel sound to its ‘a’ equivalent and add せられる (serareru). However, in everyday conversation, this is almost always shortened. The せら (sera) part contracts to さ (sa).

Rule: Change final -u to -a and add される (sareru).

  • 書く (かく, to write): かく → かか → 書かされる: to be made to write
  • 読む (よむ, to read): よむ → よま → 読まされる: to be made to read
  • 待つ (まつ, to wait): まつ → また → 待たされる: to be made to wait
  • 買う (かう, to buy): かう → かわ → 買わされる : to be made to buy *Note the ‘wa’ sound

Conjugating the Causative Passive for Ichidan Verbs (る-verbs)

Ichidan verbs are even simpler. There is no shortened form here, so you just need to learn one pattern.

Rule: Drop the final る and add させられる.

  • 食べる (たべる, to eat): → 食べさせられる: to be made to eat
  • 見る (みる, to see/watch): → 見させられる: to be made to see/watch
  • 起きる (おきる, to wake up): → 起きさせられる: to be made to wake up

Conjugating the Causative Passive for Irregular Verbs

As always, our two irregular verbs have their own unique forms that must be memorized.

する – suru (to do)
→ させられる (saserareru)
“to be made to do”

来る (くる) – kuru (to come)
→ 来させられる (こさせられる – kosaserareru)
“to be made to come”

 

Building Sentences with the Causative Passive

Once you have the verb form, creating a sentence is all about assigning the correct roles with particles. The structure generally follows this pattern:

[Sufferer] は/が [Forcer] に [Object] を [Verb in Causative-Passive Form].

Let’s look at some examples in action:

Example with a Godan Verb
子供の時、母に毎日ピアノを練習させられた
こどものとき、ははにまいにちぴあのをれんしゅうさせられた
Kodomo no toki, haha ni mainichi piano o renshū saserareta.
When I was a child, I was made to practice the piano every day by my mother

Sufferer: I (implied)
Forcer: 母 (haha) – mother
Action: 練習させられた (renshū saserareta) – was made to practice

Example with an Ichidan Verb
弟は父に嫌いな野菜を食べさせられた
おとうとはちちにきらいなやさいをたべさせられた
Otōto wa chichi ni kirai na yasai o tabesaserareta.
My younger brother was made to eat vegetables he hates by our father

Sufferer: 弟 (otōto) – younger brother
Forcer: 父 (chichi) – father
Action: 食べさせられた (tabesaserareta) – was made to eat

Example with an Irregular Verb:
会議で、部長にプレゼンをさせられた。
かいぎで、ぶちょうにぷれぜんをさせられた
Kaigi de, buchō ni purezen o saserareta.
At the meeting, I was made to give a presentation by the manager.

Sufferer: I (implied)
Forcer: 部長 (buchō) – manager
Action: させられた (saserareta) – was made to do

The key takeaway is that the person doing the forcing is marked with the particle に (ni), and the person suffering the action is the topic or subject of the sentence, marked with は (wa) or が (ga).

 

Final Thoughts on Mastering the Causative Passive

The Causative Passive may seem like a mouthful, but it’s a logical and incredibly useful piece of Japanese grammar. By understanding its components—causation and passivity—you can unlock a more nuanced way of expressing experiences.

The next time you’re listening to Japanese music, watching an anime, or talking with a friend, keep an ear out for this form. You’ll likely hear it when someone is complaining about being made to wait (待たされた), made to go somewhere (行かされた), or made to clean (掃除させられた). Practice by thinking about times you were forced to do something, and try to build your own sentences. Before you know it, this complex form will become a natural part of your Japanese toolkit!

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