Causative-Passive in Japanese

In Brief

The Japanese causative-passive expresses the experience of being made or pressured to do something: 飲まされました means “I was made to drink.” Godan verbs often use a shortened form such as 飲まされる or 待たされる, while ichidan verbs use the full pattern, as in 食べさせられる. The construction often sounds negative, but context determines whether the pressure was harsh, merely inconvenient, or ultimately beneficial.

Overview

The causative-passive is called 使役受身形（しえきうけみけい）in Japanese. A causative construction says that one person causes another person to act; a passive construction presents an event from the viewpoint of the person affected by it. Combining the two gives the viewpoint of the person who is made, allowed, or compelled to perform the action.

Compare 母は私に野菜を食べさせた, “My mother made me eat vegetables,” with 私は母に野菜を食べさせられた, “I was made to eat vegetables by my mother.” The event is broadly the same, but the grammatical viewpoint changes. In the second sentence, 私 is the subject (the person whose experience the sentence presents), and 母 is the causer (the person who brings about the action).

At B1, the main task is to form this long verb correctly and recognize its usual implication: the affected person did not freely choose the action. It is especially useful in stories about school, work, family expectations, sales pressure, and long waits. English has no matching verb ending, so the most natural translation may be “was made to,” “was forced to,” “had to,” or “was kept waiting.”

How It Works

The basic sentence pattern

A common pattern is:

Person affected は/が + causer に + object を + causative-passive verb

Part	What it means	Example
私は	person affected; “as for me”	私は
母に	causer; “by my mother”	母に
野菜を	object of eating	野菜を
食べさせられた	“was made to eat”	食べさせられた

The affected person is marked by は when presented as the topic, or by が when identified as the grammatical subject. The causer is normally marked by に. Any direct object (the thing directly acted on) keeps を: 野菜を食べさせられる, “be made to eat vegetables.”

Japanese regularly leaves out information that is clear from context. A speaker can therefore say 残業させられました, “I was made to work overtime,” without stating either 私 or the employer.

Formation by verb class

For the full form, first make the causative, then add the passive ending:

verb → causative ～せる / ～させる → causative-passive ～せられる / ～させられる

Verb class	Dictionary form	Causative	Full causative-passive	Meaning
Godan	書く	書かせる	書かせられる	be made to write
Godan	飲む	飲ませる	飲ませられる	be made to drink
Godan	待つ	待たせる	待たせられる	be made to wait
Godan	話す	話させる	話させられる	be made to speak
Ichidan	食べる	食べさせる	食べさせられる	be made to eat
Ichidan	見る	見させる	見させられる	be made to watch
Irregular	する	させる	させられる	be made to do
Irregular	来る（くる）	来させる（こさせる）	来させられる（こさせられる）	be made to come

For an ichidan verb, remove final る and add させられる: 食べる → 食べさせられる. For godan verbs, change the final kana to its a-row partner and add せられる: 書く → 書かせられる. Verbs ending in う use わ: 買う → 買わせられる.

Common shortened godan forms

In everyday Japanese, many godan causative-passives contract from ～せられる to ～される. This is not the ordinary passive attached directly to the dictionary verb; it is a shorter causative-passive form.

Dictionary form	Full form	Common short form	Meaning
飲む	飲ませられる	飲まされる	be made to drink
待つ	待たせられる	待たされる	be made to wait / be kept waiting
書く	書かせられる	書かされる	be made to write
読む	読ませられる	読まされる	be made to read
買う	買わせられる	買わされる	be made to buy
行く	行かせられる	行かされる	be made to go

Do not apply this shortcut mechanically to every verb. In particular, godan verbs ending in す normally keep the full form: 話す → 話させられる, not standard 話さされる. Ichidan verbs also keep ～させられる: 食べさせられる, not 食べさられる. The irregular verb する becomes させられる.

Conjugating the finished form

Once formed, the causative-passive behaves like an ichidan verb. Change final る in the usual way.

Function	飲まされる	食べさせられる
Non-past plain	飲まされる	食べさせられる
Non-past polite	飲まされます	食べさせられます
Past plain	飲まされた	食べさせられた
Past polite	飲まされました	食べさせられました
Negative plain	飲まされない	食べさせられない
Negative past	飲まされなかった	食べさせられなかった
Ongoing/repeated	飲まされている	食べさせられている

毎日勉強させられています can mean “I am being made to study every day.” Here ～ている describes an ongoing arrangement or a repeated situation, not necessarily an action occurring at this exact second.

Causative versus causative-passive

Viewpoint	Japanese	Natural English
Causer’s action	先生は学生に作文を書かせた。	The teacher made the students write an essay.
Affected person’s experience	学生は先生に作文を書かされた。	The students were made to write an essay by the teacher.

The causative itself can mean either “make” or “let,” depending on context. The causative-passive strongly favors an affected or constrained reading. It is therefore usually unnatural as a simple way to say that someone kindly gave permission. For “I was allowed to go,” permission expressions such as 行かせてもらった are normally clearer.

Examples in Context

Japanese	English	Note
たくさん飲まされました。	I was made to drink a lot.	The causer is understood from context.
三時間も待たされました。	I was made to wait for three whole hours.	も emphasizes that the wait felt excessive.
嫌いな物を食べさせられました。	I was forced to eat something I dislike.	Ichidan 食べる keeps the full form.
毎日勉強させられています。	I’m being made to study every day.	～ている marks a continuing routine.
子どものころ、母にピアノを練習させられた。	When I was a child, my mother made me practice piano.	母に identifies the causer.
会議で急に意見を言わされました。	I was suddenly made to give my opinion at the meeting.	言う → 言わされる.
店員に高い商品を買わされそうになった。	A salesperson nearly pressured me into buying an expensive product.	～そうになった means “nearly ended up.”
新人のときは、毎晩遅くまで残業させられました。	When I was new, I was made to work overtime until late every night.	A repeated past workplace experience.
授業で難しい文章を読まされた。	We were made to read a difficult text in class.	The omitted subject is supplied by context.
みんなの前で歌を歌わせられて、恥ずかしかった。	I was made to sing in front of everyone, and it was embarrassing.	Full form from 歌う is also possible: 歌わされた.
弟は父に部屋を掃除させられている。	My younger brother is being made to clean his room by our father.	Both affected person and causer are explicit.
子どものころは野菜を食べさせられたが、今は好きだ。	I was made to eat vegetables as a child, but now I like them.	The original experience was unwanted, though the result was positive.
長い説明を何度も聞かされて、疲れてしまった。	I was made to listen to the long explanation repeatedly and ended up exhausted.	聞く → 聞かされる; the result confirms the affected reading.
この仕事を通して、自分の弱点について考えさせられた。	This work made me reflect on my weaknesses.	An advanced, less literal use: something prompted reflection.

Common Mistakes

Using the causative when the affected viewpoint is intended

• Wrong for the intended meaning: 私は弟に掃除させた。 — “I made my younger brother clean.”
• Right: 私は母に掃除させられた。 — “I was made to clean by my mother.”
• Why: ～させた presents the person who causes the action. ～させられた presents the person who has to perform it.

Dropping the causative element

• Wrong: 先生に作文を書かれました。
• Right: 先生に作文を書かされました。
• Why: 書かれました is an ordinary passive and can suggest “my essay was written by the teacher” or an affected passive reading. 書かされました clearly means “I was made to write.”

Marking the causer with を

• Wrong: 私は先生を本を読まされました。
• Right: 私は先生に本を読まされました。
• Why: In the standard causative-passive pattern, the causer takes に. The book remains the direct object and takes を.

Shortening an ichidan verb

• Wrong: 野菜を食べさられた。
• Right: 野菜を食べさせられた。
• Why: The productive short pattern belongs to godan verbs. 食べる is ichidan and uses 食べさせられる.

Over-shortening a verb ending in す

• Wrong in standard usage: みんなの前で話さされた。
• Right: みんなの前で話させられた。
• Why: The regular contraction is generally avoided with godan verbs ending in す. Keep the full ～させられる form.

Translating every form as literal physical force

• Misleading translation: 三時間待たされた。 — “I was physically forced to wait for three hours.”
• Better: “I was kept waiting for three hours.”
• Why: The form often describes lack of choice, inconvenience, authority, or social pressure. The English wording should fit the situation.

Usage Notes

A negative implication is common, not automatic

Because the construction presents the affected person’s viewpoint, it often suggests reluctance, annoyance, or harm. Words such as 無理に “forcibly,” 仕方なく “with no other choice,” and 嫌々 “reluctantly” can make that implication explicit. Without such clues, tone and context do much of the work.

The result need not be bad. 子どものころ母に本を読まされたが、そのおかげで本が好きになった means “My mother made me read books when I was a child, but thanks to that I came to love books.” The action was imposed at the time, even though the speaker now values it.

Short forms are normal Japanese

Forms such as 待たされる, 飲まされる, and 書かされる are common in both conversation and ordinary writing. They are not merely careless abbreviations. The full forms 待たせられる and 飲ませられる are also grammatical, and may be preferred when clarity or a careful style matters.

English “had to” does not always require this form

Japanese has several ways to express obligation. 行かなければならなかった states that circumstances or a rule made going necessary: “I had to go.” 行かされた highlights another person or organization causing the speaker to go: “I was made to go.” Use the causative-passive when the causer or affected experience matters, not whenever English happens to use “had to.”

Stating the causer can sound accusatory

上司に残業させられた directly assigns responsibility to the boss: “My boss made me work overtime.” If the identity is obvious or the speaker wants to avoid direct blame, Japanese can omit it: また残業させられた, “I was made to work overtime again.”

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Events and experiences as the “causer”

The thing that prompts a reaction does not have to be a person. Japanese often uses ～させられる for an involuntary thought or emotional response:

• その映画には考えさせられた。 — “That film made me think.”
• 彼の話を聞いて、いろいろ考えさせられた。 — “Listening to him gave me a lot to think about.”
• 子どもの成長には驚かされる。 — “I am amazed by how children grow.”

In 考えさせられる, the speaker is not necessarily complaining that someone issued an order. The meaning is closer to “be prompted” or “be compelled by the experience” to think. This rhetorical use is common in reviews, reflections, and formal commentary.

Potential ambiguity in long forms

Japanese られる has several functions, including passive and potential (“can”). As a result, a form such as 食べさせられる can theoretically be read as either “be made to eat” or “be able to make/let someone eat.” In real sentences, particles and context usually settle the reading:

• 私は母に野菜を食べさせられた。 — “I was made to eat vegetables by my mother.”
• この店なら子どもにも安心して食べさせられる。 — “At this restaurant, I can safely let my child eat.”

The second sentence has no affected-passive storyline; 食べさせられる is the potential form of 食べさせる. Do not decide from the verb form alone—read the whole clause.

Causative-passive versus permission received

Compare these three viewpoints:

Japanese	Main meaning	Viewpoint
先生が私に発表させた。	The teacher made/let me present.	teacher as causer
私は先生に発表させられた。	I was made to present by the teacher.	my constrained experience
私は先生に発表させてもらった。	The teacher let me present; I had the opportunity.	permission received with appreciation

The final pattern, ～させてもらう, is usually the natural choice when the speaker regards the permission as a favor or welcome opportunity. This contrast is important because English “I was allowed to” may look passive but does not normally carry the negative force of the Japanese causative-passive.

Practice Tips

1. Build pairs rather than isolated forms. Take five common verbs and say both viewpoints: 先生が私に読ませた → 私は先生に読まされた. This trains meaning and particles together.
2. Separate verb classes. Practice godan short forms as a set—待たされる, 飲まされる, 書かされる—then keep ichidan and irregular forms in a second set—食べさせられる, 見させられる, させられる.
3. Retell a real obligation. Write three sentences about school, work, or childhood: who made you act, what you did, and how you felt. Then rewrite one sentence without the causer, as Japanese often does in context.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Causative Form — learn how Japanese expresses making or letting someone do something before changing to the affected person’s viewpoint.