Mastering させてください (Sasete kudasai): Asking for Permission in Japanese

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Mastering させてください (Sasete kudasai): Asking for Permission in Japanese
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘Please let me (do something)’ or ‘Please allow me to (do something)’.

🎯 Primary Function

Politely asking for permission or allowance to do an action yourself.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Causative て-form) + ください
Not applicable (usually applies to verbs).
Not applicable (usually applies to verbs).
Causative Verb (ない-form) + でください (e.g., Sasenaide kudasai)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Common in business settings and when speaking to superiors.

😊 Informal Situations

Used with friends or family when asking for a favor or permission, though sometimes shortened.

✍️ Written Language

Used in emails and formal letters to request permission.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Very common in daily conversation and workplace communication.

💡 Common Applications

Asking for permission
Used when you want to perform an action and need the listener’s consent.
Example: 使わせてください (Please let me use it).
Business requests
A common way to politely ask for time or opportunity to perform a task in a professional setting.
Example: 検討させてください (Please let me consider it).
Self-introduction/Presenting ideas
Used to transition into a speech or explanation by asking for the floor.
Example: 説明させてください (Please let me explain).
📊
Frequency
High
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N4 (Intermediate)
Tag:

Related Kanji

JLPT N4 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N4 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
私に状況を説明させてください。
Furigana: わたしにじきょうをせつめいさせてください。
Romaji: Watashi ni joukyou o setsumei sasete kudasai.
English: Please let me explain the situation.
Example #2
これの写真を撮らせてください。
Furigana: これのしゃしんをとらせてください。
Romaji: Kore no shashin o torasete kudasai.
English: Please let me take a photo of this.
Example #3
明日、休ませてください。
Furigana: あした、やすませてください。
Romaji: Ashita, yasumasete kudasai.
English: Please let me take a day off tomorrow.
Example #4
少し考えさせてください。
Furigana: すこしかんがえさせてください。
Romaji: Sukoshi kangaesete kudasai.
English: Please let me think about it for a little while.
Example #5
この仕事を私にやらせてください。
Furigana: このしごとをわたしにやらせてください。
Romaji: Kono shigoto o watashi ni yarasete kudasai.
English: Please let me do this task.
Example #6
あなたの意見を聞かせてください。
Furigana: あなたのごいけんをきかせてください。
Romaji: Anata no iken o kikasete kudasai.
English: Please let me hear your opinion.
Example #7
中に入らせてください。
Furigana: なかにはいらせてください。
Romaji: Naka ni hairasete kudasai.
English: Please let me go inside.
Example #8
この電話を使わせてください。
Furigana: このでんわをつかわせてください。
Romaji: Kono denwa o tsukawasete kudasai.
English: Please let me use this phone.
Example #9
予定を確認させてください。
Furigana: よていをかくにんさせてください。
Romaji: Yotei o kakunin sasete kudasai.
English: Please let me check the schedule.
Example #10
私の友人を紹介させてください。
Furigana: わたしのゆうじんをしょうかいさせてください。
Romaji: Watashi no yuujin o shoukai sasete kudasai.
English: Please let me introduce my friend.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Subject of the action is the speaker.
The speaker is the one performing the action, not the listener.
Example: 行かせてください。 (Please let me go.)
Rooted in the causative form.
It uses the causative form to indicate ‘allowing’ or ‘making’ someone do something.
Example: 座らせてください。 (Please let me sit.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using ‘てくたさい’ instead of ‘させてください’ when you want to be the one doing the action.
✅ 写真を撮らせてください。
‘Totte kudasai’ means ‘Please take a photo (for me)’. ‘Torasete kudasai’ means ‘Please let me take a photo’.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Polite (Teinei-go). For even higher politeness (Sonkeigo/Kenjougo), use ‘させていただけませんか’.
Social Situations: Essential for Japanese business etiquette to avoid sounding demanding.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

～てください vs ～させてください
‘～てください’ asks the listener to do something; ‘～させてください’ asks the listener to allow the speaker to do something.
When to use: Use the former for requests and the latter for permissions.

📝 Conjugation Notes

To form this, you must first conjugate the verb into the causative form (させる/せる), then change it to the て-form (させて/せて) and add ください.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Ensure the ‘sasete’ is pronounced clearly; dragging the ‘e’ sound slightly can make it sound more like a soft request.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of it as ‘Make/Let’ (Causative) + ‘Please’ (Kudasai). You are asking the other person to ‘make/let’ you do something.

Other Grammar

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