Causative-Passive (〜させられる): How to Say 'Was Made To Do'
Building it: causative first, then passive
〜させられる is a two-stack conjugation. Start from the causative, then attach the passive ending 〜られる to that stem — the causative says someone makes you act, and the passive layered on top makes the action happen to you.
| Verb type | Steps | Result |
|---|---|---|
| る-verb (食べる) | 食べ + させる → させ + られる | 食べさせられる |
| う-verb (書く) | 書か + せる → せ + られる | 書かせられる |
| う-verb, contracted | 書かされる (common in speech) | 書かされる |
| う-verb (飲む) | 飲ま + せる / contracted | 飲ませられる / 飲まされる |
| す-ending (話す) | 話さ + せられる — no contraction | 話させられる |
| する | — | させられる |
| 来る (くる) | — | 来させられる (こさせられる) |
The two irregulars are painless: する simply becomes させられる, and 来る becomes 来させられる (こさせられる). Everything else follows the group pattern above.
What 〜させられる lets you say
Once it's built, 〜させられる lets you say you were forced to do an action by someone else — and it almost always implies you didn't want to. Grammatically it puts the focus on the put-upon person, marked with は/が, while the one doing the forcing takes に. If "I had to" was your own choice, plain た-form covers it; but if someone made you do it and you resented it, this is the pattern.
ヤッタンは先生に漢字を100回書かせられた。
ヤッタンは せんせいに かんじを ひゃっかい かかせられた。
Yattan was made to write the kanji 100 times by the teacher.
先生に = the one who forced him; clear unwilling nuance.
モチは母にピーマンを食べさせられた。
モチは ははに ピーマンを たべさせられた。
Mochi was made to eat green peppers by her mom.
弟はパーティーで歌を歌わされた。
おとうとは パーティーで うたを うたわされた。
My little brother was made to sing a song at the party.
歌わされた is the contracted form of 歌わせられた.
The conjugation traps
Three things trip learners up when they build this form.
The される contraction. For most う-verbs, the long 〜せられる shortens to 〜される. Both are correct, but the contracted form is far more common when speaking: 飲ませられる → 飲まされる, 書かせられる → 書かされる.
ヤッタンは毎朝走らされる。
ヤッタンは まいあさ はしらされる。
Yattan is made to run every morning.
走らせられる → 走らされる (contracted).
モチは先輩にお酒を飲まされた。
モチは せんぱいに おさけを のまされた。
Mochi was made to drink alcohol by an upperclassman.
The す exception. That contraction is blocked for verbs ending in す: 話す becomes 話させられる, never 話さされる — the double さ is unpronounceable. These verbs stay long.
ヤッタンは社長に長い話を聞かされた。
ヤッタンは しゃちょうに ながい はなしを きかされた。
Yattan was made to listen to the president's long story.
聞く contracts (聞かされた); compare 話す below, which cannot.
弟は先生にみんなの前で話させられた。
おとうとは せんせいに みんなの まえで はなさせられた。
My little brother was made to speak in front of everyone by the teacher.
話す → 話させられた only; 話さされた is wrong.
The causative look-alike. Don't stop one layer short: 食べさせる = "make (someone) eat," but 食べさせられる = "be made to eat." Add the passive ending only when you are the one being forced — and remember the forcer is marked with に (先生に), never は.
〜させられる in real situations
The form is rarely neutral. Reaching for 〜させられる tells the listener the speaker felt burdened, annoyed, or unwilling — it's how you complain about chores, drills, and bosses.
先生にテストを受けさせられて、つかれた。
せんせいに テストを うけさせられて、つかれた。
I was made to take a test by the teacher, and I'm worn out.
The 〜て here links to a tired/complaining result.
ヤッタンは弟に宿題を手伝わされた。
ヤッタンは おとうとに しゅくだいを てつだわされた。
Yattan was made to help with his little brother's homework.
The short version
- Build it in two steps: causative first, then passive → 〜させられる.
- る-verbs: 食べさせられる. する→させられる, 来る→来させられる.
- う-verbs usually contract せられる→される (飲まされる) — except す-verbs (話させられる).
- The forcer takes に; the meaning is "was made / forced to," with a put-upon nuance.
Practice it
Choose the correct causative-passive form (〜させられる / 〜される).
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
昨日、モチは母にピーマンを＿＿＿。
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between させる and させられる?
させる is the causative: you make someone do something (食べさせる = make eat). させられる is the causative-passive: you are made to do something (食べさせられる = be made to eat). The passive ending flips the focus onto the forced person.
When does せられる become される?
For most う-verbs in everyday speech: 飲ませられる → 飲まされる, 書かせられる → 書かされる. It's a natural contraction, not a different meaning.
Why can't 話す contract?
Verbs ending in す don't contract because it would create a hard-to-say double さ (話さされる). So 話す stays as 話させられる, with no short form.
Which particle marks the person who forces me?
に. The person doing the forcing is marked with に (先生に書かせられた), while you, the put-upon subject, take は or が.
Where Causative-Passive fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- Causative Form · N4 — The Japanese causative (使役形, 〜させる) means make OR let someone do something. Learn how to form it, when it's coercion vs. permission, the を/に particle rule, and 〜させてください.
- Passive Form · N4 — The Japanese passive (受身形): 食べる→食べられる, 書く→書かれる. Learn the formation, the に particle for the doer, and the 'suffering passive' that shows the subject was negatively affected.
Don't confuse it with
- Potential Form · N4 — The potential form means 'can / be able to': 食べる→食べられる, 書く→書ける, する→できる. Learn how to form it by verb group, the が particle shift, and ら-抜き.
More N4 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜ために — 〜ために expresses purpose ('in order to') and benefit ('for the sake of'): dictionary verb + ために, or noun + のために. Learn the formation, the cause use, and how it differs from ように.
- Imperative & Prohibition — The plain imperative (行け, 食べろ, しろ, 来い) gives a blunt command, and dictionary form + な (行くな) forbids one. Learn the formation, the harsh tone, and softer alternatives.
- 〜なさい — 〜なさい gives a firm, polite command: verb ます-stem + なさい (食べなさい, 行きなさい). Used by parents, teachers, and exam instructions. Learn the formation and the casual 〜な.
- Conditional 〜ば — The 〜ば conditional says 'if A, then B' for general truths and natural results: 押せば開く. Learn the verb, い-adjective, and negative forms, plus 〜ば〜ほど.
- Conditional 〜なら — 〜なら is the contextual 'if': it picks up a topic or premise — 日本に行くなら京都がいい. Learn the formation, how it differs from ば・たら・と, and why the main clause can come first.
- Conditional 〜たら — 〜たら is Japanese's most flexible conditional: just add ら to the plain past. Learn the formation, the 'if/when' meaning, the discovery use, and how it beats ば/と for requests.