させられる

The causative-passive form させられる expresses that the subject is made to do or is forced to do something by someone else. It combines the causative (させる – "make/let someone do") with the passive (られる – "be done to"), resulting in a structure that conveys compulsion from the subject's perspective – often with a nuance of reluctance, annoyance, or inconvenience.

Formation

Ichidan (V1) verbs: Remove る and add させられる

• たべる食べる → 食べさせられる
• みる見る → 見させられる

Godan (V5) verbs: Change the final syllable to the あ-row and add せられる

• かく書く → 書かせられる
• のむ飲む → 飲ませられる
• まつ待つ → 待たせられる
• よむ読む → 読ませられる

Irregular:

• する → させられる
• くる来る → 来させられる (こさせられる)

Contracted form (Godan verbs only)

In spoken Japanese, Godan verbs often use a contracted causative-passive: replace the final syllable with the あ-row + される.

• かく書く → 書かされる
• のむ飲む → 飲まされる
• はしる走る → 走らされる

Note: Verbs ending in す (e.g. はなす話す) cannot use the contracted form because さされる is awkward to pronounce. Use はなさせられる話させられる instead.

Usage

The person who forces the action is marked with に.

The causative-passive almost always carries a negative or unwilling feeling – the subject did not want to do the action but had no choice.

Causative-passive vs. passive

The regular passive (られる) describes something being done to you, while the causative-passive describes being made to do something yourself. Compare:

• しかられた叱られた – I was scolded. (passive: something was done to me)
• はしらせられた走らせられた – I was made to run. (causative-passive: I had to perform the action)