Japanese causative & passive causatives?

Question

What is the difference in connotation/usage between 〜させる／〜れる／〜させられる？

Examples:
1) 私はお母さんに野菜を食べさせた。
2) 野菜は私に食べられた。
3) 私はお母さんに野菜を食べさせられた。

Especially, what is the difference between 1 and 3? なんで使う？何が違う？

Is this a correct translation?:
1) Mom made me eat vegetables
2) I was made to eat vegetables by my mom (and I'm mad about it)
3) Mom made me eat vegetables

Thank you!

Answer 1

I find this one a little confusing, too. I just went and asked one of the teachers I worked with to be sure on this, though.

～させる and ～させれる are both like saying, "made to." If I'm remembering correctly, ～させる is just a shortened form.

However, the correct translation of 1 and 3 would be "I made my mother eat vegetables." The は and に particles are backwards. Apparently, this form is also not one you would use for elders or anyone you were showing respect to (as in you making them do something) because it sounds a little disrespectful. It should only be used either if you're being made to do something or if you're making someone lower than you do something.

2 is a little more difficult. ～られる can be passive voice, or it can be a potential verb (can do). Technically, this sentence means, "The vegetables were eaten by me." It's grammatically correct, but sounds a little funny, and isn't really something likely to be used in native Japanese. Sometimes, I think they use the passive form to soften language when they're speaking politely, though. If the sentence read: 「私は野菜を食べられた」, then it would mean, "I could eat the vegetables. Or if it was 食べられる instead, it would be a more general, "I can eat vegetables." It's essentially the equivalent of saying, 「野菜を食べることができる」.

Hope this helps. :)