Japanese with Manga

Sent with a gift from mom with 〜される

Grammar Explanation: Being made to do with 〜させられる

Tsukasa, sweating a little, smiles and raises his index finger as he makes a suggestion.
幼なじみが強敵です。 » Volume 2 » Page 124

With summer vacation almost over, Makoto still hasn’t finished her homework. Tsukasa comes over to cheer her on through her last assignment, but she soon slumps over the table, worn out.

司(つかさ):
「あ、終(お)わったらアイス食(た)べよ」
“Oh, let's have ice cream when you're done.”
「母(かあ)さんから手土産(てみやげ)にって持(も)たされた分(ぶん)あるんだ」
“My mom sent me over with some as a gift.”
Literal: “There's a portion I was made to carry from my mom, saying 'as a gift'.”

Key Points

1持(も)たされる, “be sent with”
  • 持(も)たせる often means “give someone something to take along”. Its short causative-receptive, 持(も)たされる, is “be sent off with” or “be given something to take”.
  • There’s little sense of being forced. 持(も)たされた just says the idea was his mom’s, not his.
2から for the one who made it happen
  • The person behind 〜させられる usually takes に. With verbs where something passes from one person to another, such as 持(も)たされる, から works too, since the ice cream came from his mom.
3手土産(てみやげ)にって
  • 手土産(てみやげ) is a small gift you bring when visiting someone’s home. に here means “as”, and って quotes his mom: she said “as a gift” when she handed it over.
4分(ぶん)あるんだ
  • 分(ぶん) is “portion” or “share”. 持(も)たされた分(ぶん) is “the share I was sent with”, and が after it is dropped in casual speech.
  • あるんだ uses んだ to explain. Tsukasa is telling Makoto why he can offer ice cream.
5食(た)べよ
  • 食(た)べよ is a casual, shortened 食(た)べよう, “let’s eat”.

Vocabulary

(Ah)

あ is a short sound people make when they suddenly notice or remember something, or when they want someone’s attention.

(To end)

終(お)わる is for something to come to an end. After a verb stem, it means to finish doing it.

(Ice cream)

アイス is ice cream or another frozen dessert, such as a popsicle.

(To eat)

食(た)べる is to put food in your mouth, chew, and swallow it.

(Mom)

母(かあ)さん is a familiar word for mother. People call their own mother this.

(Gift for a host)

手土産(てみやげ) is a small gift you bring when visiting someone’s home.

(To hold)

持(も)つ is to hold or carry something, or to have it.

(Share)

分(ぶん) is a share or portion, as in 俺の分, “my share”. It also means one’s place or status.

(To exist)

ある is to exist or be in a place, for things and plants rather than people or animals. It also means to have something, or for an event to take place.

See Also

幼なじみが強敵です。 © its respective creators. It is used here for educational commentary.