Causative / Faire + Infinitive
The causative construction with faire lets you express that someone causes an action to happen, whether by asking, hiring, or indirectly triggering it. It pairs faire with an infinitive so the focus is on the caused action.
Formation
To form the causative, conjugate faire for the person who causes the action, then add the infinitive of the action to be done. Any agent who does the action can follow with a par phrase.
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Usage
Use faire + infinitive to report tasks someone else does for you, services you arrange, or actions you prompt. It works for small favors, professional jobs, and natural processes alike.
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Vocabulary
Key verbs that commonly appear as infinitives after faire reflect everyday actions, repairs, preparations, and communications. Learn typical examples to describe common caused events.
| French Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| faire réparer | to have (something) repaired |
| faire construire | to have (something) built |
| faire nettoyer | to have (something) cleaned |
| faire livrer | to have (something) delivered |
| faire cuire | to have (something) cooked |
| faire traduire | to have (something) translated |
| faire peindre | to have (something) painted |
| faire photographier | to have (something) photographed |
| faire réparer | to have (something) repaired |
| faire installer | to have (something) installed |
| faire écrire | to have (something) written |
| faire remarquer | to have (something) noticed |
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧑🎨 Je fais préparer les toiles avant l'atelier. | I have the canvases prepared before the workshop. |
| 🖼️ Elle fait accrocher ses peintures dans la galerie. | She has her paintings hung in the gallery. |
| 🧑🌾 Nous faisons arroser les jardins colorés chaque matin. | We have the colorful gardens watered every morning. |
| 🎨 Ils font nettoyer leurs pinceaux avant de changer de couleur. | They have their brushes cleaned before changing color. |
| 🧹 Le chef fait balayer le studio avant l'exposition. | The manager has the studio swept before the exhibition. |
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Examples
| French Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧑🎨 Je fais préparer mes pigments par mon assistant. | I have my pigments prepared by my assistant. |
| 🖼️ Elle fait installer ses œuvres par les techniciens. | She has her works installed by the technicians. |
| 🧑🌾 Nous faisons cueillir les fleurs pour les bouquets. | We have the flowers picked for the bouquets. |
| 🎨 Ils font sécher les toiles sur des fils tendus. | They have the canvases dried on stretched lines. |
Alternative Causative
When you want to emphasize the person who performs the action rather than the caused result, use laisser + infinitive to show permission or faire + a subordinate clause with que and a subjunctive or indicative.
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Summary
The causative faire + infinitive highlights actions you cause someone to do, making it easy to report arranged tasks and services. Remember to conjugate faire for the agent who causes the action and keep the triggered action in the infinitive.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025