How to say that an inanimate agent makes something happen


I'm guessing that the causative form only works with animate agents, so how
would I say something like:

> Learning Japanese **makes** life interesting.

This is my attempt, but I'm not at all convinced by it:

> 生活が面白くなるから日本語を勉強している。

Is it correct? What better ways can I express the phrase "X makes Y" where X
is not a person?




As your English example for life implies not daily life or manner of living,
but life in general, I would use 人生 instead of 生活.

Your attempt: 「生活が面白くなるから日本語を勉強している。」Means (My) daily life becomes (sic)
interesting, so I am studying Japanese.' Aside from the tenses not agreeing,
the cause/effect order is reversed.

I would suggest the following:

> 「日本語を勉強することが人生を面白くする。」'Studying Japanese makes life more interesting.'
> (using が here instead of は underlines Japanese as opposed to other areas of
> study)
>
> 「異国語を勉強すると世界が広がる。」'Studying foreign languages broadens (your) world.'
>
> 人生を面白くするために日本語を勉強しています。I study Japanese in order to make life more
> interesting.

In the original order that you used, it would work as a
suggestion/recommendation:

> 「人生が面白くなるから、あなたも日本語を勉強した方がいいよ。」




Generally, "X makes Y ～" is translated as "Xは、Yを～にする(or ～にさせる)".

I translated your example as "日本語を学ぶことは、人生を面白くする。"

I translated 生活が面白くなるから日本語を勉強している into English as "I am studying Japanese
because my life becomes interesting."

