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Category grammar

Causative

The causative in Japanese is formed by adding a verb ending aseru for consonant stem verbs and saseru for vowel stem verbs. For example, iku, "to go", becomes ikaseru "to make/let go", and tsutaeru "to report" becomes tsutaesaseru "to make/let report". In a sentence, the particle o is used: :kuruma wo ugokaseta "I made the car move".

Causative forms
  • kaku, "write", becomes kakaseru
  • tatsu, "stand", becomes tataseru
  • yomu, "read", becomes yomaseru
  • miru, "see", becomes misaseru
  • kakeru becomes kakesaseru
  • kuru, "come", becomes ko-saseru
  • suru becomes se-saseru (*) or saseru
    • Type of verb Ending Examples
    consonant stem -seru
    vowel stem -saseru
    kahen -saseru
    sahen -saseru

  • (*) Modern Japanese rarely, if ever, uses the form se-saseru. Another vowel stem verb, saseru, originally a short form of se-saseru, is used instead.

    • See also

  • Causative passive