注意を向ける vs. 注意を向けさせる - same meaning?


I understand the difference in concept; YがXを向ける = "Y turns X", and ZがYにXを向けさせる
= "Z makes Y turn X". But in practical usage with 注意を~, I can't tell the
difference. Do native speakers just use them interchangeably?

Below are both example sentences from
[alc.co.jp](https://eow.alc.co.jp/search?q=%e5%90%91%e3%81%91%e3%81%95%e3%81%9b%e3%82%8b):

> ~に (人) の **注意を向けさせる** : bring ~ to the attention of

> ~に (人) の **注意を向ける** : direct someone's attention to ~

Same particles, and basically the same English translation. There is also a
sentence in a Japanese grammar book I'm reading about the sentence-ending
particle よ:

> 「よ」の基本的な機能は聞き手の知らないことに **注意を向けさせる** ことにあると言えます。

How would the meaning change if 向ける were used here instead?




  1. 私は黒板に彼の注意を **向けた** 。
  2. 私は黒板に彼の注意を **向けさせた** 。
  3. 私は彼に黒板に注意を **向けさせた** 。

These are basically interchangeable. In Sentence 1, the speaker directly drew
his attention to the blackboard (his attention was moved by 私). Sentence 2 is
more indirect; the speaker made him to direct his attention to the blackboard
(his attention was moved by 彼 because 私 asked him to do so). Sentence 3 is a
slightly modified version of Sentence 2; now you can see the agent (causee),
彼, is explicitly marked by another に.

There is no significant difference between them, but Sentence 1 may tend to
sound like the speaker directly drew his attention e.g., by tapping the
blackboard, whereas Sentence 2 & 3 tend to sound like the speaker asked him,
"Hey look at the blackboard".

Sentence 3 has two に's in succession, which is not wrong but not very nice,
either. If you care, remember you can always replace 黒板に to 黒板 **へ** :

  1. 私は黒板へ彼の注意を **向けた** 。
  2. 私は黒板へ彼の注意を **向けさせた** 。
  3. 私は彼に黒板へ注意を **向けさせた** 。




  1. 私は黒板に彼の注意を **向けた** 。
  2. 私は黒板に彼の注意を **向けさせた** 。
  3. 私は彼に黒板に注意を **向けさせた** 。

These are basically interchangeable. In Sentence 1, the speaker directly drew
his attention to the blackboard (his attention was moved by 私). Sentence 2 is
more indirect; the speaker made him to direct his attention to the blackboard
(his attention was moved by 彼 because 私 asked him to do so). Sentence 3 is a
slightly modified version of Sentence 2; now you can see the agent (causee),
彼, is explicitly marked by another に.

There is no significant difference between them, but Sentence 1 may tend to
sound like the speaker directly drew his attention e.g., by tapping the
blackboard, whereas Sentence 2 & 3 tend to sound like the speaker asked him,
"Hey look at the blackboard".

Sentence 3 has two に's in succession, which is not wrong but not very nice,
either. If you care, remember you can always replace 黒板に to 黒板 **へ** :

  1. 私は黒板へ彼の注意を **向けた** 。
  2. 私は黒板へ彼の注意を **向けさせた** 。
  3. 私は彼に黒板へ注意を **向けさせた** 。

