Causative Constructions

Using machen + an infinitive with zu is a straightforward way to show that someone causes another to do something. It is common in both spoken and written German.

Lassen + an infinitive is the most natural way to express that you let, have, or cause someone to do something. It emphasizes permission or delegation.

Geben + an infinitive with zu is less common but can be used to indicate giving someone the task or opportunity to do something. It sounds a bit more formal or deliberate.

Haben + an infinitive with zu or without zu is often used in business or service contexts to show that you cause someone to do something, usually by asking or ordering.

German also has verbs that inherently express causation, such as veranlassen, beauftragen, and bewirken. These are more formal and used in written or official language.

To express causation in German, choose machen + zu for general cases, lassen + infinitiv for permission or delegation, geben + zu for assigning tasks, haben + infinitiv for arranged actions, and causative verbs for formal contexts.