働かせる|はたらかせるhatarakaseru[0]heiban (flat)
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Definitions
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto put someone to work; to make someone work
- ichidan verb, transitive verbto use; to apply; to exert; to exercise (restraint, one's imagination, one's brain, etc.)
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 働かせる（はたらかせる） |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 働かせます（はたらかせます） |
| Negative (nai) | 働かせない（はたらかせない） |
| polite (masen) | 働かせません（はたらかせません） |
| classical zu / nu | 働かせず・働かせぬ（はたらかせず・はたらかせぬ） |
| Past (ta) | 働かせた（はたらかせた） |
| polite (mashita) | 働かせました（はたらかせました） |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 働かせなかった（はたらかせなかった） |
| polite (masen deshita) | 働かせませんでした（はたらかせませんでした） |
| Te form | 働かせて（はたらかせて） |
| Potential | 働かせられる（はたらかせられる） |
| Passive | 働かせられる（はたらかせられる） |
| Causative | 働かせさせる（はたらかせさせる） |
| Causative passive | 働かせさせられる（はたらかせさせられる） |
| Conditional (ba) | 働かせれば（はたらかせれば） |
| tara | 働かせたら（はたらかせたら） |
| Volitional | 働かせよう（はたらかせよう） |
| polite (mashou) | 働かせましょう（はたらかせましょう） |
| Imperative | 働かせろ（はたらかせろ） |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym働かすはたらかすNeutralThe godan form with the same meaning; 「頭を働かす」 works too, with a slightly more casual feel than 「働かせる」.
- Synonym行使こうしWrittenWritten; exercising rights or power, as in 「武力行使」.
- Synonym利かすきかすNeutralBringing something into effect, or seasoning, as in 「機転を利かす」.
- Related使うつかうNeutralUse; the everyday default, far broader in application than 「働かせる」.
- Related使用しようNeutralUse as a noun; formal, focusing on the use of objects and facilities.
- Related利用りようNeutralMaking use of something to achieve a goal.
- Related運用うんようWrittenWritten; putting into practice and managing, focusing on how funds or systems are actually run.
- Related用いるもちいるWrittenWritten; adopting, employing, focusing on choosing a method or material.
- Related役立てるやくだてるNeutralPutting to good use, focusing on beneficial application.
- Related活用かつようNeutralMaking full, flexible use of something so it fulfils its potential.
- Related使役しえきWrittenWritten; making someone do something, also the grammatical causative 「使役」; broader than 「働かせる」.
- Related役するえきするWrittenWritten and archaic: pressing into forced labour, focusing on conscripting manpower.
- Antonym休ませるやすませるNeutralAntonym: letting someone rest; set against making someone work with 「働かせる」.
- Antonym遊ばせるあそばせるNeutralAntonym: leaving idle or unused; set against putting to work with 「働かせる」.
Use 「働かせる」 for making someone work or putting the mind or imagination to work, as in 「頭を働かせる」 and 「想像力を働かせる」. For use in general say 「使う」, for flexible use 「活用」, for quick wits 「利かす」. Opposites: 「休ませる」 and 「遊ばせる」.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
