Topics
AdvancedCausative Constructions
How to express 'making someone do something' or 'having something done' in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
Spanish uses hacer, dejar and mandar. English uses make, let, have and get. Chinese uses 让, 叫, 使 and 请 with the verb unchanged.
Overview
Causative constructions express that someone causes or allows an action to happen.
- Spanish: Uses hacer (make/force), dejar (let/allow), and mandar (order/have). Pronouns can precede or attach to the infinitive depending on structure.
- English: Uses make (force), let (allow), have (arrange), and get (persuade/manage). All take bare infinitives except get.
- Chinese: Uses 让 (make/let), 叫 (call/make), 使 (cause), and 请 (invite/request). The verb never changes form.
Spanish
Hacer (make/force)
Hacer + infinitive = cause someone to do something (often against their will):
- Me hizo llorar. (He made me cry.)
- El profesor hace estudiar a los alumnos. (The teacher makes the students study.)
- La película me hizo reír. (The movie made me laugh.)
Pattern: hacer + person (as direct object) + infinitive
With reflexive pronouns (for oneself):
- Se hizo cortar el pelo. (He had his hair cut.)
- Me hice construir una casa. (I had a house built for myself.)
Dejar (let/allow)
Dejar + infinitive = allow someone to do something:
- Me dejó salir. (He let me leave.)
- No me dejan fumar. (They don’t let me smoke.)
- Deja que te explique. (Let me explain to you.)
Dejar que + subjunctive for more emphasis:
- No dejo que venga nadie. (I don’t let anyone come.)
Mandar (order/have done)
Mandar + infinitive = order someone to do / have something done:
- Mandé reparar el coche. (I had the car repaired.)
- El jefe mandó cerrar la puerta. (The boss ordered the door closed.)
Causative pronoun placement
With hacer and mandar, pronouns usually precede the conjugated verb:
- Me hizo callar. (He made me be quiet.)
- Lo mandé arreglar. (I had it fixed.)
But can attach to infinitives in some contexts:
- Hizo callarme. (He made me be quiet. — less common)
Hacerse + participle
Reflexive passive-causative:
- Se hizo famoso. (He made himself famous / He became famous.)
- Se hizo construir una casa. (He had a house built [for himself].)
Volverse / ponerse (become)
Not strictly causative, but related:
- Se volvió loco. (He went crazy. — sudden change)
- Se puso rojo. (He turned red. — physical change)
- Se quedó callado. (He fell silent. — resulting state)
English
Make (force)
Make + object + bare infinitive = force someone to do something:
- He made me laugh.
- The teacher makes the students study.
- Don’t make me angry.
Important: No to after make:
- ❌ He made me to laugh.
- ✅ He made me laugh.
Make + adjective:
- This song makes me happy.
- The news made her sad.
Let (allow)
Let + object + bare infinitive = allow someone to do something:
- She let me borrow her car.
- My parents don’t let me go out.
- Let me help you.
Important: No to after let:
- ❌ She let me to borrow.
- ✅ She let me borrow.
Let in imperatives:
- Let’s go! (Let’s = let us — inclusive)
- Let him try. (permissive)
Have (arrange)
Have + object + bare infinitive = arrange for someone to do something:
- I had him fix my computer. (I arranged for him to fix it.)
- She had the maid clean the room.
- We have our lawn mowed every week.
Have + past participle (passive causative):
- I had my hair cut. (someone cut it for me)
- She had the car repaired.
Get + past participle:
- I got my hair cut.
- She got the car fixed.
Get (persuade/manage)
Get + object + to + infinitive = persuade or manage:
- I got him to agree. (I persuaded him.)
- She got me to laugh. (She made me laugh — persuasion, not force)
Get + -ing (informal):
- Let’s get going.
- I got him talking.
Help (optional to)
Help + object + (to) + infinitive:
- She helped me to carry. / She helped me carry. (both acceptable)
Passive causative (have/get)
| Active | Passive causative |
|---|---|
| Someone cuts my hair. | I have my hair cut.* |
| Someone repaired my car. | I got my car fixed.* |
| Someone delivers my mail. | I have my mail delivered.* |
Chinese
让 (make/let — most common)
让 + person + verb = make/let someone do:
- 他让我笑了。(He made me laugh.)
- 妈妈让我去。(Mom let me go.)
- 不要让他知道。(Don’t let him know.)
让 + 被 for passive:
- 我让他修了车。(I had him fix the car.)
- 车被他修好了。(The car was fixed by him.)
叫 (call/make — informal)
叫 + person + verb = ask/make someone do (informal):
- 老师叫我回答问题。(The teacher had me answer the question.)
- 他叫我去买东西。(He asked me to go shopping.)
使 (cause — formal/abstract)
使 = cause/result in (more formal, often abstract):
- 这个消息使他很高兴。(This news made him very happy.)
- 科技使生活更方便。(Technology makes life more convenient.)
Pattern: 使 + person + adjective/verb phrase
请 (invite/request — polite)
请 + person + verb = request someone to do:
- 我请他帮忙。(I asked him to help.)
- 请你坐。(Please sit.)
叫 vs 让 vs 使
| Register | Usage | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 让 | Neutral | Make/let someone do | 他让我走 |
| 叫 | Informal | Ask/make someone do | 他叫我去 |
| 使 | Formal | Abstract cause | 科技使生活改变 |
| 请 | Polite | Request someone do | 我请他帮忙 |
Resultative causative with 得
Chinese expresses causative result with 得:
- 他说得我很生气。(He spoke so that I got angry.)
Comparison at a glance
| Meaning | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make (force) | hacer + infinitive | make + bare infinitive | 让 + verb |
| Let (allow) | dejar + infinitive | let + bare infinitive | 让 + verb |
| Arrange (have done) | mandar + infinitive | have + bare infinitive | 请 / 让 + verb |
| Persuade | conseguir que + subj | get + to + infinitive | 叫 + verb |
| Passive causative | hacerse + participle | get/have + past participle | 被 + causative |
| Cause (abstract) | hacer / causar que | make / cause to | 使 + clause |
| Pronoun position | Before verb or attached | After verb | Between 让 and verb |
| Bare infinitive | Yes (infinitive) | Yes (bare infinitive) | Yes (verb unchanged) |
Examples
In Context
| Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| Me hizo reír. | He made me laugh. | 他让我笑了。 |
| Me corté el pelo. / Me hice cortar el pelo. | I had my hair cut. | 我让人剪了头发。 |
| Me dejó ir. | She let me go. | 她让我走。 |
| La tecnología hace la vida más fácil. | Technology makes life easier. | 科技使生活更方便。 |
Common mistakes
-
Spanish/Chinese speakers learning English: Adding to after make/let: He made me to laugh → He made me laugh
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Using que after hacer: Hizo que llore → Me hizo llorar
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Using 使 for all causatives: 他使我笑 → acceptable but 他让我笑 is more natural for interpersonal
-
Chinese speakers learning English: Confusing have (possession) with have (causative): I have him fix → I had him fix (past context)
Related topics
- Modals: How modal verbs express permission and obligation
- Passive: How passive causative works
- Imperatives: How let forms inclusive commands
- Direct/Indirect Objects: How object pronouns work in causative constructions
Examples
Make someone do (force)
hacer + infinitive
Let someone do (permit)
dejar + infinitive
Have someone do (arrange)
mandar + infinitive
Get something done
hacerse + participle / mandar + infinitive
Cause to become
hacer + adjective / volverse + adjective
Passive causative
se hace / se manda
Pronoun position
Before infinitive (hacerme) / separate (me hace)
Negation
no dejar / no hacer
Examples
Make someone do (force)
make + bare infinitive
Let someone do (permit)
let + bare infinitive
Have someone do (arrange)
have + bare infinitive / get + to
Get something done
get + past participle / have + past participle
Cause to become
make + adjective / turn + adjective
Passive causative
get + past participle
Pronoun position
After verb (make him)
Negation
not let / not make
Examples
Make someone do (force)
让 / 叫 + verb
Let someone do (permit)
让 + verb
Have someone do (arrange)
请 / 让 + verb
Get something done
让 + person + verb (passive sense)
Cause to become
使 + clause / verb + 得 + result
Passive causative
被 + causative verb
Pronoun position
Between 让 and verb (让他)
Negation
不让 / 不叫
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make someone do (force) | hacer + infinitive | make + bare infinitive | 让 / 叫 + verb |
| Let someone do (permit) | dejar + infinitive | let + bare infinitive | 让 + verb |
| Have someone do (arrange) | mandar + infinitive | have + bare infinitive / get + to | 请 / 让 + verb |
| Get something done | hacerse + participle / mandar + infinitive | get + past participle / have + past participle | 让 + person + verb (passive sense) |
| Cause to become | hacer + adjective / volverse + adjective | make + adjective / turn + adjective | 使 + clause / verb + 得 + result |
| Passive causative | se hace / se manda | get + past participle | 被 + causative verb |
| Pronoun position | Before infinitive (hacerme) / separate (me hace) | After verb (make him) | Between 让 and verb (让他) |
| Negation | no dejar / no hacer | not let / not make | 不让 / 不叫 |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Make someone do (force) | hacer + infinitive | make + bare infinitive | 让 / 叫 + verb |
| Let someone do (permit) | dejar + infinitive | let + bare infinitive | 让 + verb |
| Have someone do (arrange) | mandar + infinitive | have + bare infinitive / get + to | 请 / 让 + verb |
| Get something done | hacerse + participle / mandar + infinitive | get + past participle / have + past participle | 让 + person + verb (passive sense) |
| Cause to become | hacer + adjective / volverse + adjective | make + adjective / turn + adjective | 使 + clause / verb + 得 + result |
| Passive causative | se hace / se manda | get + past participle | 被 + causative verb |
| Pronoun position | Before infinitive (hacerme) / separate (me hace) | After verb (make him) | Between 让 and verb (让他) |
| Negation | no dejar / no hacer | not let / not make | 不让 / 不叫 |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
Make someone do (force)
Spanish
hacer + infinitive
English
make + bare infinitive
Chinese
让 / 叫 + verb
Let someone do (permit)
Spanish
dejar + infinitive
English
let + bare infinitive
Chinese
让 + verb
Have someone do (arrange)
Spanish
mandar + infinitive
English
have + bare infinitive / get + to
Chinese
请 / 让 + verb
Get something done
Spanish
hacerse + participle / mandar + infinitive
English
get + past participle / have + past participle
Chinese
让 + person + verb (passive sense)
Cause to become
Spanish
hacer + adjective / volverse + adjective
English
make + adjective / turn + adjective
Chinese
使 + clause / verb + 得 + result
Passive causative
Spanish
se hace / se manda
English
get + past participle
Chinese
被 + causative verb
Pronoun position
Spanish
Before infinitive (hacerme) / separate (me hace)
English
After verb (make him)
Chinese
Between 让 and verb (让他)
Negation
Spanish
no dejar / no hacer
English
not let / not make
Chinese
不让 / 不叫
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Uses hacer (make/force), dejar (let/allow), and mandar (order/have). Pronouns can precede or attach to the infinitive depending on structure.
English: Uses make (force), let (allow), have (arrange), and get (persuade/manage). All take bare infinitives except get.
Chinese: Uses 让 (make/let), 叫 (call/make), 使 (cause), and 请 (invite/request). The verb never changes form.
Key concepts compared: Make someone do (force), Let someone do (permit), Have someone do (arrange).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does English 'make' take a bare infinitive while Spanish 'hacer' takes a full infinitive?
How does Chinese distinguish between 让 (ràng), 叫 (jiào), 使 (shǐ), and 请 (qǐng) in causatives?
What makes the English 'have' causative so confusing for Spanish and Chinese speakers?
References
- Nueva gramática de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, 2010
- The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language — Huddleston & Pullum, Cambridge University Press, 2002
- A Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Chinese Language — Li & Thompson, 1981
Read this first
Last updated: June 4, 2026