77846
I am reading よつばと！ On page 180 of volume 1, the character Janbo is telling
Yotsuba-chan that he is a "pro" when it comes to catching cicadas. In the
balloon it says:

> いいか よつば 俺はセミを取らせたらプロ級だぜ。 略してセミプロだ。

I understand the meaning of the sentence overall. What I don't understand
exactly is the actual "grammar-like" usage of the causative 取らせる.

I tried to think grammatically

取らせる:  
俺は取る。俺はセミを取る。  
俺はセミを(よつばに)取らせる。  
I'll allow (teach?) you to get cicadas.

・・・取らせたらプロだぞ。  
If I "teach" you to catch cicadas, you'll be a "pro".

I wonder if that thought of mine is correct.

みなさん、教えてください。
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2020-06-06T12:38:46.600
77842
2020-06-06T14:00:14.633
2020-06-06T13:47:35.170
9831
36542
question
grammar causation
取らせたら: doubts about the Japanese causative form
You can think of it this way:

> 俺は、［（誰かが/お前が）（俺に）セミを取らせたら、］プロ級だぜ。

The basic structure of this sentence is 俺はプロ級だ.

取らせる, "make someone catch", is the causative form of 取る.  
The subject of 取らせる can be "(generic) you".  
The agent of the action 取る is 俺.

（誰かが/お前が）（俺に）セミを取らせたら...  
Literally means "If someone/you make me catch cicadas, ..."
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-06T14:00:14.633
77846
2020-06-06T14:00:14.633
9831
77842
answer