せる

See also: セル

Japanese

Etymology 1

From Classical Japanese す (su), which followed 下二段活用 (shimo nidan katsuyō, “lower bigrade conjugation”).

Suffix

せる • (-seru) ichidan, stem せ (-se), past せた (-seta)

  1. Expresses causation: to make ... do ...
    子(こ)供(ども)に本(ほん)を読(よ)ませる
    kodomo ni hon o yomaseru
    to make children read books
    死(し)なせてください。
    Shinasete kudasai.
    Please let me die.
Usage notes

Attaches only to the 未然形 (mizenkei, “irrealis or incomplete form”) of Group I (godan) verbs and the irregular verb する (suru). The result is conjugated like an ichidan verb.

Inflection rules for the せる form
non-accented
word		dictionary formmizenkei + -seruaccented
word		dictionary formmizenkei + -seru
godan verbs (type 1)
聞くきく (kìkú)きかせる (kìkásérú)書くかく (káꜜkù)かかせる (kàkáséꜜrù)
嗅ぐかぐ (kàgú)かがせる (kàgásérú)泳ぐおよぐ (òyóꜜgù)およがせる (òyógáséꜜrù)
貸すかす (kàsú)かさせる (kàsásérú)話すはなす (hànáꜜsù)はなさせる (hànásáséꜜrù)
取り持つとりもつ (tòrímótsú)とりもたせる (tòrímótásérú)立つたつ (táꜜtsù)たたせる (tàtáséꜜrù)
死ぬしぬ (shìnú)しなせる (shìnásérú)凍え死ぬこごえしぬ (kògóéshíꜜnù)こごえしなせる (kògóéshínáséꜜrù)
呼ぶよぶ (yòbú)よばせる (yòbásérú)選ぶえらぶ (èráꜜbù)えらばせる (èrábáséꜜrù)
望むのぞむ (nòzómú)のぞませる (nòzómásérú)読むよむ (yóꜜmù)よませる (yòmáséꜜrù)
終わるおわる (òwárú)おわらせる (òwárásérú)作るつくる (tsùkúꜜrù)つくらせる (tsùkúráséꜜrù)
言ういう (ìú)いわせる (ìwásérú)会うあう (áꜜù)あわせる (àwáséꜜrù)
追うおう (òú)おわせる (òwásérú)食うくう (kúꜜù)くわせる (kùwáséꜜrù)
irregular verbs (type 3)
するする (sùrú)させる (sàsérú)

(Part of the accent information comes from the Online Japanese Accent Dictionary.)

The passive form of verbs from other conjugation classes are formed with させる (-saseru) instead of せる (-seru).

In colloquial speech, せる (-seru) can be contracted to す (-su), which follows 五段活用 (godan katsuyō, “quinquigrade conjugation”).

In traditional Japanese grammar, this is a 助動詞 (jodōshi, “auxiliary verb”). Morphologically, this is an inflectional suffix whose proper shape is -ase- (terminal form -aseru), attaching to the stem of consonant-stem verbs.

Conjugation
Conjugation of "せる" (See Appendix:Japanese verbs.)
Stem forms
Imperfective (未然形) せ -se
Continuative (連用形) せ -se
Terminal (終止形) せる -seru
Attributive (連体形) せる -seru
Hypothetical (仮定形) せれ -sere
Imperative (命令形) せよ¹
せろ²		 -seyo¹
-sero²
Key constructions
Passive せられる -serareru
Causative － －
Potential せられる
せれる³		 -serareru
-sereru³
Volitional せよう -seyō
Negative せない
せぬ
せん		 -senai
-senu
-sen
Negative continuative せず -sezu
Formal せます -semasu
Perfective せた -seta
Conjunctive せて -sete
Hypothetical conditional せれば -sereba
¹ Written imperative
² Spoken imperative
³ Colloquial potential
See also

Etymology 2
For pronunciation and definitions of せる – see the following entry.
【迫る】
[verb] to urge, compel; to hurry (someone) along
(This term, せる, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 3
For pronunciation and definitions of せる – see the following entry.
【競る】
[verb] to compete (against someone)
[verb] to bid in an auction, offer a higher price
[verb] to offer for sale, to peddle, hawk
Alternative spelling
糶る
(This term, せる, is an alternative spelling of the above term.)

Etymology 4

See り.

Pronunciation
  • (Tokyo) せ​る [séꜜrù] (Atamadaka – [1])
  • IPA(key): [se̞ɾɯ̟ᵝ]

Verb

せる • (seru) 

  1. (archaic) Stative form of する (suru, “to do”), in the adnominal form.
    図(ず)版(はん)を省(しょう)略(りゃく)せる鳥(ちょう)類(るい)目(もく)録(ろく)
    zuhan o shōryaku seru chōrui mokuroku
    an ornithological catalogue with with illustrations omitted
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