使役受身

How it works

The causative-passive (使役受身) stacks the passive on top of the causative: someone makes you do something, told from your side. The subject is the person who was forced (は／が); the person who did the forcing takes に. It is the standard way to talk about obligations you resented: overtime, cram school, drinking parties, speeches.

1. Godan: causative せる → せられる: 書く → 書かせる → 書かせられる. In everyday speech this contracts to あ-row + される: 書かされる、飲まされる、待たされる、行かされる. Both forms are correct; the short one is far more common in conversation.
2. Godan ending in す never contract (it would give the clumsy さされる): 話す → 話させられる、出す → 出させられる.
3. Ichidan: させる → させられる, no contraction: 食べる → 食べさせられる、見る → 見させられる.
4. Irregular: する → させられる、来る → 来させられる（こさせられる）.

The nuance is almost always reluctance or suffering: you did the action because you had no choice. Even a cheerful verb picks up that tone: 歌わされた means you sang and did not want to.

Examples

• 子供の時、毎日塾に行かされました。（こども の とき、まいにち じゅく に いかされました）— As a child, I was made to go to cram school every day.
• 部長に残業させられた。（ぶちょう に ざんぎょう させられた）— My boss made me work overtime.
• 飲み会でお酒をたくさん飲まされました。（のみかい で おさけ を たくさん のまされました）— At the drinking party I was made to drink a lot.
• 一時間も待たされて、疲れた。（いちじかん も またされて、つかれた）— I was kept waiting a whole hour and I am worn out.
• 友達に変な映画を見させられた。（ともだち に へんな えいが を みさせられた）— My friend made me watch a weird movie.
• 人前で話させられるのは苦手です。（ひとまえ で はなさせられる の は にがて です）— I hate being made to speak in front of people.

Compare with

• 受身形 (passive): 先生に叱られた (the teacher scolded me; I underwent it) vs 先生に謝らされた (the teacher made me apologize; I performed the action). The passive alone never means you did something.
• 使役形 (causative): the same event from the other chair: 部長が私に残業させた (boss as subject, neutral) vs 私は部長に残業させられた (me as subject, with resentment).
• ～させてもらう: 早く帰らせてもらった (I was allowed to leave early, gratefully) is the exact opposite of 早く帰らされた (I was sent home whether I liked it or not).

Traps for Spanish, English and French speakers

• English 'I was made to work overtime' tempts the plain passive: ✗ 部長に残業された, which means the boss did the overtime and it affected you. Forcing needs both layers: 部長に残業させられた.
• Spanish 'me dejaron salir temprano' and French 'on m'a laissé partir' are permission, but ✗ 早く帰らせられた says you were forced to leave. Permission you received is ～させてもらう: 早く帰らせてもらった.
• Once 飲まされる is learned, learners contract everything: ✗ 食べさされた、✗ 話さされた. Only godan verbs not ending in す contract; say 食べさせられた and 話させられた.
• French se faire + infinitive is neutral ('je me suis fait aider par un ami') and looks like causative + passive, so French speakers write ✗ 友達に手伝わされた for 'I got a friend to help me'. That says the friend forced you to help someone. A favor you receive is 友達に手伝ってもらった.