()かせる

きかせる
verb (ichidan)
to tell; to let someone hear; to recite
他動詞 transitivecommunication
See also: ()かす (variant form), () (base verb)
Conjugation
AffirmativeNegative
Present()かせる()かせない
Present polite()かせます()かせません
Past()かせた()かせなかった
Past polite()かせました()かせませんでした
て form()かせて()かせなくて
ている present()かせている()かせていない
ている polite()かせています()かせていません
ている past()かせていた()かせていなかった
ている past polite()かせていました()かせていませんでした
Conditional ば()かせれば()かせなければ
Conditional たら()かせたら()かせなかったら
Volitional()かせよう
Volitional polite()かせましょう
Potential()かせられる()かせられない
Passive()かせられる()かせられない
Causative()かせさせる()かせさせない
Imperative()かせろ()かせるな
1. to tell; to let someone hear; to read aloud to
To convey information or a story to someone by speaking. Often used for telling stories, reading aloud, or sharing news.
To read a picture book aloud to a child.
Please tell me about your trip.
It's my daily routine to tell the children folk tales before bed.
2. to play (music) for someone; to perform for someone to hear
To play music or sing so that someone can listen and appreciate it.
新曲(しんきょく)()かせる。
To play a new song for someone.
Someday I want to let lots of people hear my songs.

The causative form of () (to hear/listen), used as an independent verb meaning to let someone hear or to tell someone something. Unlike the grammatical causative, ()かせる is commonly treated as its own word with a nuance of sharing or performing.

Common collocations

Common patterns

Similar words

  • (はな): to speak, to tell — neutral, no emphasis on the listener's experience
  • (かた): to narrate, to tell — more literary, for longer stories
  • (つた)える: to convey, to communicate — focuses on the information being transmitted