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Shinkansen chair can be rotated. The case is when you need to rotate it and
you need someone (stranger) to stand up on their chair so you can rotate
yours... Is this a proper way to ask it?

First, asking them to stand for a moment...

> すみませんが、ちょっと立ってくださいますか？

The confusing part is telling the reason... The message was "I want to rotate
the chair" This is what I though of below...

> 椅子を回りたいです

But when I check on google translate, it says...

> 椅子を回転させたいです

Please help to explain the difference and what would be a proper way to say
for this case.
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2016-03-15T03:54:41.753
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question
grammar
To turn/rotate Shinkansen chair
"回る" is an [intransitive
verb](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/in-transitive), and
therefore not appropriate the way you are trying to phrase it.

> In Japanese, sometimes there are two types of the same verb often referred
> to as transitive and intransitive verbs. The difference between the two is
> that one verb is an action done by an active agent while the other is
> something that occurs without a direct agent.

So you can say, "椅子が回る" to describe the seat turning, but not _turning_ it. If
you had said "椅子を回る", it would rather mean "go around the chair", but that is
a different story.

"回す" is the transitive counterpart to "回る". "回す" takes the particle "を". You
can phrase it in the following way:

> 椅子を回したいです

* * *

"させる" is a [causative
verb](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/causepass), which can
essentially mean "make" or "let" someone/something do something.

> Verbs conjugated into the causative form are used to indicate an action that
> someone makes happen.

"回転する" would be what the seat is doing, while "回転させる" would be what _you_ are
doing to the seat, or making _it_ do.

* * *

Lastly, I would prefer to phrase the request as following:

> すみません、ちょっと立っていただけませんか？

The _why_ is mostly preference, but "ください", albeit humble, is imperative.
Using potential form is also a pretty standard and soft way of requesting
something. You can make it even _less_ direct by using [phrasings suggested by
nodakai and Shoko](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/a/32923/11830).
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answer
> すみません、椅子を回したいんですけど、いいですか？  
>  すみません、椅子を回‌​してもいいですか？  
>  すみません、椅子を回したいんですけど…。(cutting off the sentence as suggested by @nodakai)

would be fine.

I think we also commonly say:

> すみません、椅子/[座席]{ざせき}の向きを変えてもいいですか？  
>  すみません、椅子/座席の向きを変えたいんですけど、いいですか？  
>  すみません、椅子/座席の向きを変えたいんですが、いいですか？  
>  すみません、椅子/座席の向きを変えたいんですけど…。  
>  すみません、椅子/座席の向きを変えたいんですが…。

I don't think we'd say 「すみませんが、ちょっと立ってくださいますか？」 or 「すみませんが、ちょっと立っていただけませんか？」
in your situation; I think it'd sound a bit too direct and impolite to say to
someone you don't know.
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