〜せて あげます / 〜せて ください (~sete agemasu / ~sete kudasai) — Let them do / please let me do
One single form — sometimes "make", sometimes "let".
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
Which to pick? With a boss or a customer, 〜せて ください still sounds a bit direct, so use 〜せて いただけませんか from the next page instead.
Meaning
- The sentence decides what the causative means — sometimes "make" (an order), sometimes "let" (permission).
- The easy test: if the person doing the action wanted it and gains from it, it is "let"; if they did not want it, it is "make".
- 子どもを 遊ばせました on its own could be either.
- To make the meaning clear, add あげます to the て form — 遊ばせて あげました is immediately heard as "I kindly let them play".
How to attach
When you want permission for yourself, say 〜せて ください: 使わせて ください (please let me use it).
Versus what you know
N5Note how that differs from 〜て ください — 使って ください = please use it, 使わせて ください = please let me use it.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
子どもを 公園で 遊ばせて あげました。
こどもを こうえんで あそばせて あげました。
I let the child play in the park.
すみません、この パソコンを 使わせて ください。
すみません、この パソコンを つかわせて ください。
Excuse me, please let me use this computer.
部長は 毎日 私に レポートを 書かせます。
ぶちょうは まいにち わたしに レポートを かかせます。
The manager makes me write a report every day.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
Which one says "I let the child play"?
💡 Hint: あげます brings the kind feeling.
遊ばせて あげました = I kindly let them play. あげます makes the "let" meaning clear.
Which one is "please let me use this computer"?
💡 Hint: 使って ください means "you please use it".
使わせて ください = please let me use it. 使って ください asks the other person to use it.
Which sentence says "the teacher made the students write kanji"?
💡 Hint: は marks the one in charge; に marks the one who writes.
先生は (the one in charge) + 学生に (the one who writes) + 漢字を + 書かせました. Swap the roles and 学生は 先生に 書かせました says the students made the teacher do it. 書いて あげました = the teacher wrote it for them. 書かせられました = the teacher was made to write.
Your score: /3