Learn Japanese (JLPT N3): Causative form + kureru/ageru/morau

Hi, I'm Pato from KANJI-Link. In this video,
I would like to explain different ways to

use the causative form in Japanese.

Do you remember the causative form? It is
used when we MAKE someone do something or

we LET someone do something. Well, when it
is used with this second meaning, it can be

combined with verbs expressing giving or receiving
such as AGERU, KURERU, MORAU...etc... This

is what we are going to study in this video.

Let's begin with the conjugation of this verb,
UNTEN SURU, to drive. To say "Let someone

drive", I have to use the causative form.
UNTEN SURU becomes UNTEN SASERU.

Now, let's imagine the following situation.
I am with Mr. Kato, and I let him drive. Of

course, I must use the causative form. WATASHI
WA KATO SAN NI UNTEN SASERU. But since the

causative form means both to MAKE someone
do something and to LET someone do something,

if I leave it like that, it becomes unclear.
When we hear this sentence, we might think

that I forced Mr. KATO to drive. But in this
case, Mr Kato wanted to drive, he said UNTEN

SHITAI. So the fact that I let him drive can
be considered as a gift, and I can add AGERU.

I turn UNTEN SASERU into UNTEN SASETE AGERU.

Let's imagine the opposite situation. I am
with Mr Kato and I want to drive UNTEN SHITAI.

If Mr Kato lets me drive, I can say KATO SAN
WA WATASHI NI UNTEN SASERU. But this is not

enough to express my gratitude. I have to
turn UNTEN SASERU into UNTEN SASETE KURERU.

By the way, saying UNTEN SHITAI was not very
polite. To ask Mr Kato to let me drive, I

should have said UNTEN SASETE KUREMASEN KA.
Or I can be even more polite by using honorific

speech, UNTEN SASETE KUDASAIMASEN KA. If this
is too long for you, you can be more direct

and just say UNTEN SASETE KUDASAI, please
let me drive.

So far, we have seen the forms from the point
of view of the giver, Mr Kato, because we

used him as the subject KATO SAN WA. Now let's
change our point of view, and study this from

the receiver's side.

What I get from Mr Kato, is the fact that
he lets me drive. So if I use myself as the

subject, I can say WATASHI WA KATO SAN NI
UNTEN SASETE MORAU. The result is the same

as the causative-passive UNTEN SASERARERU,
but this second option implies that I am forced

to drive by Mr Kato and this not what I want
to say here. I want to express my gratitude,

so let's forget about the causative-passive
and go back to UNTEN SASETE MORAU, I get Mr

Kato to let me drive. This can also be used
to make a polite request. Could I receive

from you the fact of letting me drive? I know
this is a very strange way to ask for something,

but it's very natural and polite in Japanese.
UNTEN SASETE MORAEMASEN KA. Be careful, you

have to use the potential form, could I receive,
MORAEMASEN KA. If you just say will I receive,

MORAIMASEN KA, it is not a polite request
anymore! Talking about politeness, you can

go even further by using the honorific speech,
ITADAKU instead of MORAU. But don't forget

to use the potential form! UNTEN SASETE ITADAKEMASEN
KA.

Okay, that was a bit intense, so let's practice
and summarize everything.

Imagine there are 2 people, an employee and
his boss. The employee wants to go home early,

so he must ask his boss to let him go home.
Let's put KAERU at the causative form. It

is a group1 verb ending with RU, so KAERU
becomes KAERASERU.

There are many ways to ask for permission,
let's summarize all the ways that we have

seen so far.
帰らせてください。帰らせてくれませんか。帰らせてくださいませんか。帰らせてもらえませんか。帰らせていただけませんか。

With such polite requests, I am sure that
the boss will say II DESU YO!

Let's report what is happening here. The boss
lets him go home. SHACHO WA KAERASETE AGERU.

On the other hand, the employee gets his boss
to let him go home. SHAIN WA KAERASETE MORAU.

OK, now imagine that the employee arrives
at home and tells his kid that the boss let

him go home early.
Using the boss as the subject, he can say

"SHACHO GA KAERASETE KURETA".
Using himself, the receiver, as the subject,

he can say "SHACHO NI KAERASETE MORATTA".
Although the result is the same, there is

a slight nuance between these sentences. Morau
implies that he got something because he asked

for it, so it may be more appropriate to use
KAERASETE MORATTA in this case.

OK, I realize this is difficult, but now you
know everything you need to know about the

causative form!

If you need to practice all these structures,
check out my website, KANJI-Link.com!