Want you to let me explain with 〜させてほしい

Grammar Explanation: Want you do to something with 〜てほしい

Takeo tries helping the girl who likes his friend Sunakawa. When Takeo receives a call from his own girlfriend, he realizes he’s alone with another girl.

猛男(たけお):: 「すまん大和(やまと)に事情(じじょう)説明(せつめい)させてほしい」; “Sorry, I'd like you to let me explain the situation to Yamato.”; Literal: “Sorry, I want you to let me explain the situation to Yamato.”; 「ゆきかちゃんが砂川(すな)を好(す)きだってこと大和(やまと)に話(はな)していいか？」; “Is it all right if I tell Yamato you like Suna?”

Note: Takeo calls Sunakawa “Suna”, which is why the furigana on 砂川 is すな.

Key Points

1させてほしい = “I want you to let me…”

This combines the causative form させる (“to let/make [someone] do”) with 〜てほしい (“I want you to…”)
Pattern: Causative verb + てほしい “I want you to let me [do X]”.
Here, 説明(せつめい)させてほしい means “I want you to let me explain”.

2Breaking down the causative: 説明(せつめい)する becomes 説明(せつめい)させる

The base verb is 説明(せつめい)する (“to explain”).
Causative form: 説明(せつめい)させる “to let/make [someone] explain”.
Adding 〜てほしい directs the request to the listener: “(I want) you to let me explain”.

3Implicit subject and object

The speaker (Takeo) wants permission from the listener to explain something.
Full thought: “(You) let me explain [the situation] to Yamato; that’s what I want.”
The に in 大和(やまと)に marks Yamato as the recipient of the explanation.

4Polite urgency with すまん + させてほしい

Starting with すまん (“sorry”) softens the request and shows awareness of the inconvenience.
This makes させてほしい feel more like “please allow me to…” rather than a blunt demand.

ちゃん is an affectionate, informal suffix attached to names, used mainly for children, close friends, and family members.

Want you to let me explain with 〜させてほしい

Key Points

See Also