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Causative 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ràng, 叫jiào, 使shǐ and 请qǐng 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ràng (make/let), 叫jiào (call/make), 使shǐ (cause), and 请qǐng (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ràng (make/let — most common)

让ràng + person + verb = make/let someone do:

他tā让ràng我wǒ笑xiào了le。(He made me laugh.)
妈mā妈ma让ràng我wǒ去qù。(Mom let me go.)
不bù要yào让ràng他tā知zhī道dào。(Don’t let him know.)

让ràng + 被bèi for passive:

我wǒ让ràng他tā修xiū了le车chē。(I had him fix the car.)
车chē被bèi他tā修xiū好hǎo了le。(The car was fixed by him.)

叫jiào (call/make — informal)

叫jiào + person + verb = ask/make someone do (informal):

老lǎo师shī叫jiào我wǒ回huí答dá问wèn题tí。(The teacher had me answer the question.)
他tā叫jiào我wǒ去qù买mǎi东dōng西xi。(He asked me to go shopping.)

使shǐ (cause — formal/abstract)

使shǐ = cause/result in (more formal, often abstract):

这zhè个ge消xiāo息xi使shǐ他tā很hěn高gāo兴xìng。(This news made him very happy.)
科kē技jì使shǐ生shēng活huó更gèng方fāng便biàn。(Technology makes life more convenient.)

Pattern: 使shǐ + person + adjective/verb phrase

请qǐng (invite/request — polite)

请qǐng + person + verb = request someone to do:

我wǒ请qǐng他tā帮bāng忙máng。(I asked him to help.)
请qǐng你nǐ坐zuò。(Please sit.)

叫jiào vs 让ràng vs 使shǐ

	Register	Usage	Example
让ràng	Neutral	Make/let someone do	他tā让ràng我wǒ走zǒu
叫jiào	Informal	Ask/make someone do	他tā叫jiào我wǒ去qù
使shǐ	Formal	Abstract cause	科kē技jì使shǐ生shēng活huó改gǎi变biàn
请qǐng	Polite	Request someone do	我wǒ请qǐng他tā帮bāng忙máng

Resultative causative with 得dé

Chinese expresses causative result with 得dé:

他tā说shuō得de我wǒ很hěn生shēng气qì。(He spoke so that I got angry.)

Comparison at a glance

Meaning	Spanish	English	Chinese
Make (force)	hacer + infinitive	make + bare infinitive	让ràng + verb
Let (allow)	dejar + infinitive	let + bare infinitive	让ràng + verb
Arrange (have done)	mandar + infinitive	have + bare infinitive	请qǐng / 让ràng + verb
Persuade	conseguir que + subj	get + to + infinitive	叫jiào + verb
Passive causative	hacerse + participle	get/have + past participle	被bèi + causative
Cause (abstract)	hacer / causar que	make / cause to	使shǐ + clause
Pronoun position	Before verb or attached	After verb	Between 让ràng and verb
Bare infinitive	Yes (infinitive)	Yes (bare infinitive)	Yes (verb unchanged)

Examples in context

He made me laugh

ES: Me hizo reír.
EN: He made me laugh.
ZH: 他tā让ràng我wǒ笑xiào了le。

I had my hair cut

ES: Me corté el pelo. / Me hice cortar el pelo.
EN: I had my hair cut.
ZH: 我wǒ让ràng人rén剪jiǎn了le头tóu发fa。

She let me go

ES: Me dejó ir.
EN: She let me go.
ZH: 她tā让ràng我wǒ走zǒu。

Technology makes life easier

ES: La tecnología hace la vida más fácil.
EN: Technology makes life easier.
ZH: 科kē技jì使shǐ生shēng活huó更gèng方fāng便biàn。

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shǐ for all causatives: 他tā使shǐ我wǒ笑xiào → acceptable but 他tā让ràng我wǒ笑xiào 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)

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ràng / 叫jiào + verb

Let someone do (permit)

让ràng + verb

Have someone do (arrange)

请qǐng / 让ràng + verb

Get something done

让ràng + person + verb (passive sense)

Cause to become

使shǐ + clause / verb + 得de + result

Passive causative

被bèi + causative verb

Pronoun position

Between 让ràng and verb (让ràng他tā)

Negation

不bù让ràng / 不bù叫jiào

Comparison at a glance

Grammar concepts	Spanish	English	Chinese
Make someone do (force)	hacer + infinitive	make + bare infinitive	让ràng / 叫jiào + verb
Let someone do (permit)	dejar + infinitive	let + bare infinitive	让ràng + verb
Have someone do (arrange)	mandar + infinitive	have + bare infinitive / get + to	请qǐng / 让ràng + verb
Get something done	hacerse + participle / mandar + infinitive	get + past participle / have + past participle	让ràng + person + verb (passive sense)
Cause to become	hacer + adjective / volverse + adjective	make + adjective / turn + adjective	使shǐ + clause / verb + 得de + result
Passive causative	se hace / se manda	get + past participle	被bèi + causative verb
Pronoun position	Before infinitive (hacerme) / separate (me hace)	After verb (make him)	Between 让ràng and verb (让ràng他tā)
Negation	no dejar / no hacer	not let / not make	不bù让ràng / 不bù叫jiào

Side-by-side comparison

Grammar concepts	Spanish	English	Chinese
Make someone do (force)	hacer + infinitive	make + bare infinitive	让ràng / 叫jiào + verb
Let someone do (permit)	dejar + infinitive	let + bare infinitive	让ràng + verb
Have someone do (arrange)	mandar + infinitive	have + bare infinitive / get + to	请qǐng / 让ràng + verb
Get something done	hacerse + participle / mandar + infinitive	get + past participle / have + past participle	让ràng + person + verb (passive sense)
Cause to become	hacer + adjective / volverse + adjective	make + adjective / turn + adjective	使shǐ + clause / verb + 得de + result
Passive causative	se hace / se manda	get + past participle	被bèi + causative verb
Pronoun position	Before infinitive (hacerme) / separate (me hace)	After verb (make him)	Between 让ràng and verb (让ràng他tā)
Negation	no dejar / no hacer	not let / not make	不bù让ràng / 不bù叫jiào

Examples in context

Make someone do (force)

Spanish

hacer + infinitive

English

make + bare infinitive

Chinese

让ràng / 叫jiào + verb

Let someone do (permit)

Spanish

dejar + infinitive

English

let + bare infinitive

Chinese

让ràng + verb

Have someone do (arrange)

Spanish

mandar + infinitive

English

have + bare infinitive / get + to

Chinese

请qǐng / 让ràng + verb

Get something done

Spanish

hacerse + participle / mandar + infinitive

English

get + past participle / have + past participle

Chinese

让ràng + person + verb (passive sense)

Cause to become

Spanish

hacer + adjective / volverse + adjective

English

make + adjective / turn + adjective

Chinese

使shǐ + clause / verb + 得de + result

Passive causative

Spanish

se hace / se manda

English

get + past participle

Chinese

被bèi + causative verb

Pronoun position

Spanish

Before infinitive (hacerme) / separate (me hace)

English

After verb (make him)

Chinese

Between 让ràng and verb (让ràng他tā)

Negation

Spanish

no dejar / no hacer

English

not let / not make

Chinese

不bù让ràng / 不bù叫jiào

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ràng (make/let), 叫jiào (call/make), 使shǐ (cause), and 请qǐng (invite/request). The verb never changes form.

Key concepts compared: Make someone do (force), Let someone do (permit), Have someone do (arrange).

Read this first

transitivity verb-tenses

Last updated: June 4, 2026

Overview

Spanish

Hacer (make/force)

Dejar (let/allow)

Mandar (order/have done)

Causative pronoun placement

Hacerse + participle

Volverse / ponerse (become)

English

Make (force)

Let (allow)

Have (arrange)

Get (persuade/manage)

Help (optional to)

Passive causative (have/get)

Chinese

让ràng (make/let — most common)

叫jiào (call/make — informal)

使shǐ (cause — formal/abstract)

请qǐng (invite/request — polite)

叫jiào vs 让ràng vs 使shǐ

Resultative causative with 得dé

Comparison at a glance

Examples in context

He made me laugh

I had my hair cut

She let me go

Technology makes life easier

Common mistakes

Related topics

Examples

Examples

Examples

Comparison at a glance

Side-by-side comparison

Examples in context

Key Takeaways