Causative verbs is to let or to make

[healer]

Japanese causative verbs have two functions. One is making someone do something and the other is letting someone do something. How do we determine which is which?

Tae Kim’s Guide to learning Japanese says that the only good news is that when the causative form is used with 「あげる」 and 「くれる」, it almost always means to “let someone do”. It’s only almost always and what about the rest?

By the way we never use causative form with もらう, do we?

 

[Toritoribe]

Japanese causative verbs have two functions. One is making someone do something and the other is letting someone do something. How do we determine which is which?

From the context, as always.

It’s only almost always and what about the rest?

What do you mean by "the rest"? Exceptions of あげる and くれる or the cases where あげる and くれる are not used?

By the way we never use causative form with もらう, do we?

No. It's quite commonly used.
食べさせてもらう
行かせてもらう
働かせてもらう
etc. etc.

The subject of ～（さ）せてもらう is the recipient of benefit, so it can't be "to make/force" (i.e., as the same reason as ～（さ）せてくれる).

EDIT:
I checked Tae Kim's site, and found that the example used there is wrong.

全部食べさせてくれた。
Let (someone) eat it all.

The Japanese sentence actually means "(Someone) let me/us eat it all" or "(Someone) fed it all to me/us". "Let (someone) eat it all" is 全部食べさせてあげた.

 

[healer]

What do you mean by "the rest"? Exceptions of あげる and くれる or the cases where あげる and くれる are not used?

Yes

No. It's quite commonly used.
食べさせてもらう
行かせてもらう
働かせてもらう
etc. etc.

So using もらう is the same as あげる and くれる, it almost always means to “let someone do”, doesn't it?

全部食べさせてくれた。
Let (someone) eat it all.

The Japanese sentence actually means "(Someone) let me/us eat it all" or "(Someone) fed it all to me/us". "Let (someone) eat it all" is 全部食べさせてあげた.

Thanks for your checking! It helps. So how would one translate 全部食べさせてもらった.?

 

[Toritoribe]

Yes

Which one are you referring to? "Exceptions of あげる and くれる" and "the cases where あげる and くれる are not used" are not the same.

So using もらう is the same as あげる and くれる, it almost always means to “let someone do”, doesn't it?

Yes.

how would one translate 全部食べさせてもらった.?

"I was let eat it all/I was allowed to eat it all." or "I was fed it all". The subject can be second or third person, though

 

[healer]

Which one are you referring to?

Both if I may. No hurry! Thanks!
By the way もらう as well.