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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

Manga panel from 俺物語!! showing example of Want you to let me explain with 〜させてほしい.
俺物語!! » Volume 7 » Page 73

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.

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 meexplain 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”.

  2. Breaking down the causative: 説明(せつめい)する → 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”.

  3. Implicit 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.

  4. Polite 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.

See Also