Causative and Passive Verbs

We will now learn the last two major types of verb conjugations: causative and passive forms. These two verb conjugations are traditionally covered together because of the notorious causative-passive combination. We will now go over what all these things are and how they are used.

Causative Verbs

Verbs conjugated into the causative form are used to indicate an action that someone makes happen. Like Captain Picard so succinctly puts it, the causative verb means to "make it so". This verb is usually used in the context of making somebody do something. The really confusing thing about the causative verb is that it can also mean to let someone do something. Or maybe this is a different type of verb with the exact same conjugation rules. Whichever the case may be, a verb in the causative form can mean either making or letting someone do something. The only good news is that when the causative form is used with 「あげる」 and 「くれる」, it almost always means to "let someone do". Once you get used to it, surprisingly, it becomes quite clear which meaning is being used when.

1. 全部食べさせた。
   Made/Let (someone) eat it all.
2. 全部食べさせてくれた。
   Let (someone) eat it all.

Examples

Here are some examples using the causative verb. Context will usually tell you which is being meant, but for our purposes we will assume that when the verb is used with 「あげる」 and 「くれる」（ください） it means "to let someone do" while it means, "to make someone do" when used without it.

1. 先生が学生に宿題をたくさんさせた。
   Teacher made students do lots of homework.
2. 先生が質問をたくさん聞かせてくれた。
   Teacher let (someone) ask lots of questions.
3. 今日は仕事を休ませてください。
   Please let me rest from work today. (Please let me take the day off today.)
4. その部長は、よく長時間働かせる。
   That manager often makes (people) work long hours.

When asking for permission to let someone do something, it is more common to use the 「～てもいい」 grammar.

1. トイレに行かせてくれますか。
   Can you let me go to the bathroom? (Sounds like a prisoner, even in English)
2. トイレに行ってもいいですか。
   Is it ok to go to the bathroom? (No problem here)

A Shorter Alternative

There is a shorter version of the causative conjugation, which I will go over for completeness. However, since this version is mostly used in very rough slang, you are free to skip this section until you've had time to get used to the regular form. Also, textbooks usually don't cover this version of the causative verb.

The key difference in this version is that all verbs become an u-verbs with a 「す」 ending. Therefore, the resulting verb would conjugate just like any other u-verb ending in 「す」 such as 「話す」 or 「指す」. The first part of the conjugation is the same as the original causative form. However, for ru-verbs, instead of attaching 「させる」, you attach 「さす」 and for u-verbs, you attach 「す」 instead of 「せる」. As a result, all the verbs become an u-verb ending in 「す」.

Examples

1. 同じことを何回も言わすな！
   Don't make me say the same thing again and again!
2. お腹空いているんだから、なんか食べさしてくれよ。
   I'm hungry so let me eat something.

Passive Verbs

Passive verbs are verbs that are done to the (passive) subject. Unlike English style of writing which discourages the use of the passive form, passive verbs in Japanese are often used in essays and articles.

Examples

1. ポリッジが誰かに食べられた！
   The porridge was eaten by somebody!
2. みんなに変だと言われます。
   I am told by everybody that (I'm) strange.
3. 光の速さを超えるのは、不可能だと思われる。
   Exceeding the speed of light is thought to be impossible.
4. この教科書は多くの人に読まれている。
   This textbook is being read by a large number of people.
5. 外国人に質問を聞かれたが、答えられなかった。
   I was asked a question by a foreigner but I couldn't answer.
6. このパッケージには、あらゆるものが含まれている。
   Everything is included in this package.

Using passive form to show politeness

While we will go over various types of grammar that express a politeness level above the normal -masu/-desu forms in the next lesson, it is useful to know that using passive form is another more polite way to express an action. In Japanese, a sentence is usually more polite when it is less direct. For example, it is more polite to refer to someone by his or her name and not by the direct pronoun "you". It is also more polite to ask a negative question than a positive one. (For example, 「しますか？」 vs. 「 しませんか？」) In a similar sense, using the passive form makes the sentence less direct because the subject does not directly perform the action. This makes it sound more polite. Here is the same sentence in increasing degrees of politeness.

1. どうする？ - What will you do? (lit: How do?)
2. どうしますか？ - Regular polite.
3. どうされますか？- Passive polite.
4. どうなさいますか？- Honorific (to be covered next lesson)
5. どうなさいますでしょうか？- Honorific + a lesser degree of certainty.

Notice how the same sentence grows longer and longer as you get more and more indirect.

Examples

1. レシートはどうされますか？
   What about your receipt? (lit: How will you do receipt?)
2. 明日の会議に行かれるんですか？
   Are you going to tomorrow's meeting?

Causative-Passive Forms

The causative-passive form is simply the combination of causative and passive conjugations to mean that the action of making someone do something was done to that person. This would effectively translate into, "[someone] is made to do [something]". The important thing to remember is the order of conjugation. The verb is first conjugated to the causative and then passive, never the other way around.

Examples

1. 朝ご飯は食べたくなかったのに、食べさせられた。
   Despite not wanting to eat breakfast, I was made to eat it.
2. 日本では、お酒を飲ませられることが多い。
   In Japan, the event of being made to drink is numerous.
3. あいつに二時間も待たせられた。
   I was made to wait 2 hours by that guy.
4. 親に毎日宿題をさせられる。
   I am made to do homework everyday by my parent(s).

A Shorter Alternative

Going along with the shorter causative alternative, you can also use the same conjugation for the causative-passive form. I won't cover it in too much detail because the usefulness of this form is rather limited just like the shorter causative form itself. The idea is to simply used the shortened causative form instead of using the regular causative conjugation. The rest is the same as before.

This form cannot be used in cases where the shorter causative form ends in 「さす」, in other words, you can't have a 「さされる」 ending.

Examples

1. 学生が廊下に立たされた。
   The student was made to stand in the hall.
2. 日本では、お酒を飲まされることが多い。
   In Japan, the event of being made to drink is numerous.
3. あいつに二時間も待たされた。
   I was made to wait 2 hours by that guy.