With make + infinitive, the subject does not perform the action themselves. They provoke it, command it, or trigger it. In I make the car be repaired, I do not repair the car: someone else does it. The structure is subject + make conjugated + infinitive. The infinitive keeps its full sense, as in make come, make fall, make cook. This pattern is found with many action verbs, especially when we want to say that a person acts through the intermediary of another. For the role of the verb in the sentence, also see Verbes and Constructions verbales.

Uses of faire to provoke an action

Usage	Explanation
Make someone act	We use faire when a person asks for or provokes an action carried out by someone else.
Make a service performed	We use faire when we entrust a task to another person.
Make produce a result	We choose faire when the action leads to a visible result.
Make say or tell	We use faire when someone conveys speech through another person.
Make undergo an action	We use faire when the subject lets another person be touched by the action.
Make trigger a reaction	We choose faire when something provokes a reaction in someone.

With let + infinitive, the subject does not prevent the action. They authorize, tolerate, or relinquish control. Letting a child sleep means the child sleeps and no one stops them. The form is subject + let conjugated + infinitive. The meaning depends on the context: I let the neighbor in expresses permission, She lets others speak expresses not interrupting. The verb is common with everyday gestures, household rules, and situations where one decides not to intervene.

Uses of laisser to permit an action

Usage	Explanation
Authorize an action	We use laisser when we allow someone to do something.
Not to prevent	We use laisser when we choose not to intervene.
Tolerate a habit	We choose laisser when a habit continues without interruption.
Allow movement	We use laisser when we grant the right or space to move.
Accept a situation	We use laisser when we accept what is happening without fighting.
Let things happen naturally	We choose laisser when we avoid controlling the course.

The subject of the causative verb is the person who provokes the action. The agent is the person or thing that actually carries out that action. In The boss gets the document signed by Paul, the boss is the subject of the causative, Paul is the agent, and the document is the object of the infinitive. The agent can be expressed with par or with à depending on the verb and the construction. With faire, one often says faire + infinitive + à quelqu’un when you want to name the agent: I make Marie wash the dress. When the agent is not mentioned, the sentence remains complete: She has the bike repaired. This opposition between cause and agent often returns with French verbal constructions.

Distribution of the subject and the agent

Idea
The subject of the causative verb is the person who provokes the action.
The agent is the person or thing that carries out the action.
When the agent is a person, it can often be introduced with par.
When the agent is obvious, it can be left implicit.
The subject can also be a thing that provokes the action.

When a direct object accompanies make or let, the object pronoun comes before the causative verb: I make him repair it, She lets her sleep. If the agent is also expressed, the order remains stable: subject + object pronoun + make or let conjugated + infinitive + agent. I make him carry it to my brother, We let them use the room. With two pronouns, the direct object pronoun comes before the causative, then the other pronouns follow the usual French order. The sentence preserves the same causative meaning, but the pronouns replace noun phrases to lighten the expression.

Order of pronouns with the causative verb

Idea
The direct object pronoun goes before the causative verb.
The reflexive pronoun remains attached to the base verb in the infinitive.
When there are two pronouns, the direct object pronoun comes before the indirect pronoun.
With laisser, the order of pronouns follows the same logic as faire.
The pronoun replaces the object already known in the context.

After make and let, the infinitive is used, not a past participle agreeing with the subject. We say Elle a fait venir le médecin and Ils ont laissé partir les enfants. The causative verb remains in the passe composé with the auxiliary avoir, then the past participle of faire or laisser follows the normal rule of the main verb. The infinitive that comes after never changes form. So we write fait réparer, fait entrer, laissé sortir, never an infinitive with agreement. To review the base verbal forms, see Infinitif verbal.

Verb form after the causative verb

Idea
After faire or laisser, one uses the base infinitive.
The causative verb does not take a past participle with agreement in this structure.
The infinitive is not conjugated with the subject of the causative verb.
The choice of the infinitive depends on the meaning of the action, not on the subject.

With se faire + infinitif, the subject suffers the action or observes the result. I have my bag stolen says that a theft occurred to the speaker. He had his hair cut presents an action received by the subject. The construction is pronominal: subject + se + faire conjugated + infinitive. It is often used to say that something happens to someone without them ordering it themselves. In this pattern, the agent can be mentioned, as in She had help from her neighbor, or can be left out if one does not want to specify who acts.

Uses of se faire to undergo the action

Usage	Explanation
Undergo an action	We use se faire when the subject undergoes the action of another person.
Obtain a service	We use se faire when we receive a service or care action.
See the result on oneself	We choose se faire when the action leaves a trace on the person.
Be led to something	We use se faire when a situation leads the subject to undergo the action.
Narration in the passive	We use se faire when we tell of an action undergone in a vivid way.
Unforeseen result	We choose se faire when the action produces a surprising effect on the subject.

Several verbs and expressions are used to provoke an action in a precise way. Faire réparer, faire venir, faire entrer, faire sortir, faire tomber, faire monter and faire descendre appear very often in daily life. Laisser passer, laisser entrer, laisser sortir and laisser faire express permission or the absence of an obstacle. Also encountered are se faire aider, se faire entendre, se faire livrer and se faire connaître, which often convey a sense of result or service received. These forms are constructed like other causative verbs: subject + causative verb + infinitive, with a meaning tied to control, permission, or the action provoked.

faire préparerfaire entrerfaire mangerfaire réparerfaire tomberfaire venirfaire rirefaire laverfaire boirefaire sortir

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Frequent causative verbs and expressions

Word	Definition
faire réparer	Request that an object be put back in order by someone.
faire laver	Ask that an object or clothing be cleaned.
faire préparer	Ask that something be ready.
faire entrer	Allow someone to come inside.
faire sortir	Take someone or something outside.
faire venir	Ask someone to come to us.
faire manger	Make someone eat a meal.
faire boire	Make someone drink a liquid.
faire tomber	Cause the fall of something or someone.
faire rire	Cause laughter in someone.

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