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JAPANESE VERB

きせる

着せる

to dress someone, to put clothes on someone

  • Ichidan verb (ru-verb)

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present and future

now, habits, and what is to come

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI dress someone
NegativeI don’t dress someone

Past

finished actions

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI dressed someone
NegativeI didn’t dress someone

Te-form

て形 · joining actions, “doing”, requests

Form Polite Plain
て-formdressing someone, and…
Doing now (て います)I am dressing someone
Please (て ください)please dress someone

Potential

可能形 · “can”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI can dress someone
NegativeI can’t dress someone

Want to

たい形 · “want to”

Form Polite Plain
AffirmativeI want to dress someone
NegativeI don’t want to dress someone

Volitional

意向形 · “let’s”, “I’ll”

Form Polite Plain
Let’slet’s dress someone

Conditional

条件形 · “if” and “when”

  1. If (ば) if I dress someone
  2. If, when (たら) if I dress someone

Commands and requests

命令形 · from gentle to blunt

  1. Do it (なさい) dress someone (do it)
  2. Plain command dress someone!
  3. Please don’t please don’t dress someone

Passive and causative

受身形・使役形 · “is done”, “make someone do”

Form Polite Plain
PassiveI am dressed someone
CausativeI make someone dress someone

How to use きせる

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present and future

    さむい ひ は、 あかちゃん に コート を きせます。

    On cold days I put a coat on the baby.

  2. Past

    しちごさん で、 むすめ に きもの を きせた。

    For Shichi-go-san, we dressed our daughter in a kimono.

  3. Te-form

    いぬ に セーター を きせて、 さんぽ に いった。

    I put a sweater on the dog and went for a walk.

  4. Potential

    ひとり で ゆかた を きせられます か？

    Can you dress someone in a yukata on your own?

  5. Want to

    むすめ に も、 はは の きもの を きせたい。

    I want to dress my daughter in my mother's kimono too.

  6. Volitional

    さむそう だ から、 もう いちまい きせよう。

    He looks cold, let's put another layer on him.

  7. Conditional

    あつい ふく を きせれば、 かぜ を ひきません。

    If you dress him warmly, he won't catch a cold.

  8. Commands and requests

    でかける まえ に、 おとうと に ジャケット を きせなさい。

    Before you go out, put a jacket on your brother.

  9. Passive and causative

    おばあちゃん に きもの を きせられて、 すこし はずかしかった。

    Grandma dressed me in a kimono, and I was a bit embarrassed.

Good to know

  • きせる is dressing someone else; きる is dressing yourself: こども に ふく を きせる, わたし は ふく を きる.
  • The person takes に and the clothes を.

Where you hear きせる

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Japanese · Intermediate Level 3

  • おまつり の まえ に、 こども に ゆかた を きせます。 Before the festival, I put the children in their yukata.
  • きょう は、 あや さん に ゆかた を きせられました。 Today Aya put me in a yukata.
  • らいねん も、 マイク に ゆかた を きせる よ。 Next year too, I'll put Mike in a yukata.

Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: ichidan verb (ru-verb).