Japanese from zero · N4 Lesson 16
Made to, done to
〜られる / 〜れる (passive) ・ 〜させる / 〜せる (causative) ・ 〜させられる ・ who did what to whom
In this lesson, you will learn to say what was done to you (someone took my umbrella), what someone made or let another person do, and what you were made to do yourself. On a rainy evening at the Satos' house, Hiro complains about kanji practice and Grandma makes everyone eat seconds.
By the end you will be able to say
雨に 降られました。I got caught in the rain.
だれかに 傘を 取られました。Someone took my umbrella.
ゆみさんは ひろくんに 予習を させました。Yumi made Hiro prepare for his lessons.
おばあちゃんは みんなに たくさん 食べさせます。Grandma makes everyone eat a lot.
先生に 漢字を 十回 書かせられました。The teacher made me write the kanji ten times.
The grammar in this lesson
- Done to me: the passive 〜られる / 〜れる — The passive tells what was done to someone; the person who did it takes に.
- Make or let someone do it: 〜させる / 〜せる — The causative says someone makes or lets another person do something.
- Made to (and not happy about it): 〜させられる — The causative-passive says someone was made to do something they did not want to do.
- Who did what to whom: は, に and the verb ending — は marks who the sentence is about, and the verb ending says whether they acted, made someone act, or had it done to them.