Causatives: Hacer, Dejar, Mandar
To make, let or order someone to do something, use hacer, dejar or mandar + infinitive, with the pronoun first: Lo hice estudiar (I made him study).
The rule at a glance
hacer / dejar / mandar + infinitive
Pronoun before the causative verb: Lo hice trabajar
hacer: make / have
hacer + infinitive
Lo hice trabajar
I made him work
dejar: let / allow
dejar + infinitive
Lo dejé salir
I let him go out
mandar: order
mandar + infinitive
Lo mandé callar
I ordered him to be quiet
- You don't do the action: you make, let or order someone else to do it.
- Hacer and dejar are opposites: Lo hice salir (I made him leave), Lo dejé salir (I let him leave).
Forms
The three main causative verbs are hacer (make/have), dejar (let/allow) and mandar (order). The causative verb is conjugated; the action stays in the infinitive, as in other verb + infinitive patterns.
| Verb | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| hacer | (pronoun) + hacer + infinitive | make / have someone do something |
| dejar | (pronoun) + dejar + infinitive | let / allow someone to do something |
| mandar | (pronoun) + mandar + infinitive | order / command someone to do something |
Where the pronoun goes
The person who does the action is usually the direct object (lo, la, los, las), and the pronoun goes before the conjugated causative verb: Lo hice trabajar (I made him work). With causative hacer it can't attach to the infinitive (not hice trabajarlo). When the infinitive has its own object, the person is often indirect: Le hice leer la carta.
In affirmative commands the pronoun attaches to the causative verb: Déjalo hablar (Let him speak).
Other causative-type verbs
| Verb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| permitir + infinitive | permit/allow (formal) | No me permiten fumar aquí – They don't permit me to smoke here |
| obligar + a + infinitive | force/oblige | Me obligaron a firmar – They forced me to sign |
| ayudar + a + infinitive | help | La ayudé a estudiar – I helped her study |
| impedir + infinitive | prevent/stop | Le impidieron salir – They prevented him from leaving |
When to use it
1. Making someone do something: hacer
Causing or forcing an action, often against resistance, or something that triggers a reaction.
Lo hice estudiar – I made him study
El jefe nos hizo trabajar tarde – The boss made us work late
La película me hizo llorar – The film made me cry
¿Te hizo esperar mucho? Did he/she make you wait long?
2. Letting someone do something: dejar
Allowing or permitting an action.
Mis padres me dejaron salir – My parents let me go out
No la dejaron entrar – They didn't let her come in
¿Me dejas usar tu móvil? Will you let me use your phone?
Déjalo hablar – Let him speak
3. Ordering someone to do something: mandar
Giving an order or command.
La profesora nos mandó callar – The teacher ordered us to be quiet
Te mandé limpiar tu cuarto – I ordered you to clean your room
El capitán los mandó marchar – The captain ordered them to march
¿Quién te mandó venir? Who ordered you to come?
Common mistakes
Pronoun between the verbs
Not this (incorrect): Hice lo trabajar
But this (correct): Lo hice trabajar – I made him work. The pronoun goes before the conjugated causative verb, not between the verb and the infinitive.
Pronoun on the infinitive
Not this (incorrect): Hice trabajarlo
But this (correct): Lo hice trabajar – I made him work. With causative hacer the pronoun can't attach to the infinitive.
Forgetting a after obligar and ayudar
Not this (incorrect): Me obligaron firmar
But this (correct): Me obligaron a firmar – They forced me to sign. Obligar and ayudar take a before the infinitive: La ayudé a estudiar.
Quick check
8 questions1. How do you say 'I made him study' using a causative construction?
'Lo hice estudiar' - The direct object pronoun 'lo' goes before the causative verb 'hacer', and the second verb stays in the infinitive. 'Le hice estudiar' is also heard in Spain for a male person (leísmo, accepted by the RAE).
2. Which sentence means 'My parents let me go out'?
'Mis padres me dejaron salir' - 'Dejar' means to let/allow. 'Hacer' would mean 'made me go out', 'mandar' would mean 'ordered me to go out'.
3. What's the correct way to say 'The boss made them work overtime'?
'El jefe los hizo trabajar horas extras' - Use the direct object pronoun 'los' (them) before 'hacer'. When the causative subject causes someone to do something, that person is the direct object.
4. Which verb would you use to say 'The teacher ordered us to be quiet'?
'Mandó' (from mandar) - This verb expresses ordering or commanding someone to do something. 'La profesora nos mandó callar'.
5. How do you say 'Don't let him leave!'?
'¡No lo dejes salir!' - The pronoun 'lo' (him) goes before the conjugated verb 'dejes'. The negative command uses the subjunctive form of 'dejar'. (In Spain you will also hear '¡No le dejes salir!')
6. What does 'Me hiciste llorar' mean?
'You made me cry' - 'Hacer + infinitive' expresses causing someone to do something. 'Me' is the direct object pronoun meaning 'me'.
7. Which construction correctly says 'I'll have them clean the room'?
'Les haré limpiar el cuarto' - When the infinitive has its own object (el cuarto), the person usually becomes the indirect object (les), placed before 'haré'. 'Haré que limpien el cuarto' (subjunctive) is also correct.
8. What's the difference between 'dejar' and 'hacer' in causatives?
'Dejar = let/allow, Hacer = make/cause' - These verbs have very different meanings. 'Dejar' implies permission, while 'hacer' implies causing or forcing something to happen.
Test your understanding of hacer, dejar, and mandar with infinitives:
Going further
Le or lo (leísmo), mandar meaning 'send', hacer que + subjunctive, reflexive infinitives and more examples
Le or lo? (leísmo)
With an infinitive that has no object, the person is the direct object: lo/la hice estudiar. Many speakers in Spain say le for a man (leísmo). It is accepted, but lo/la is safe everywhere; avoid le for this in Latin America.
Lo hice estudiar – I made him study (correct everywhere)
Le hice estudiar – Accepted in Spain for a male person (leísmo)
Le hice leer la carta – I made him read the letter (the infinitive has its own object)
Mandar: order or send
Mandar means "to order" with an infinitive and "to send" with a noun (like enviar). Context tells you which.
Me mandó callar – He/She ordered me to be quiet
Me mandó un mensaje – He/She sent me a message
Hacer que + subjunctive
Hacer/mandar/dejar que + subjunctive is also correct, but the causative with the infinitive is more natural and common in everyday speech.
Hice que estudiara – I made him study (correct, more complex)
Lo hice estudiar – I made him study (simpler, preferred)
Reflexive infinitives
With reflexive verbs, the reflexive pronoun stays with the infinitive: Lo hice levantarse (I made him get up). Causatives need someone to do the action: if no other person is involved, use a simple verb or a direct command instead.
More examples
El jefe nos hizo quedarnos – The boss made us stay
Me hiciste llorar – You made me cry
La película me hizo reír – The film made me laugh
Les haré repetir el ejercicio – I'll make them repeat the exercise
No te dejaré conducir – I won't let you drive
Los dejé jugar en el jardín – I let them play in the garden
Me mandaron escribir un informe – They ordered me to write a report
Lo mandé sentar – I ordered him to sit down