Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 35

CEFR B1-B2

5 min read

Test yourself (18 questions)

Spanish Causative Verbs: hacer, dejar, mandar + Infinitive

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

To make, let or have someone do something, Spanish puts , or straight in front of an infinitive, with nothing in between:

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

  • . - He/She made me wait.
  • . - They let me in.

The causative verbs at a glance

All of them share one shape: the verb, then the infinitive. Only the person affected changes.

VerbSpanishEnglish
.He/She made me wait.
.I had him/her fix the car.
.They let me in.
.The doctor told me to rest.
.Smoking is not allowed.
.They banned him/her from driving.

How much choice the person has decides the verb:

Who decides?
No choiceTheir choice
  1. Me hizo salir.made me go out
  2. Me mandó salir.told me to go out
  3. Me dejó salir.let me go out

Hacer + infinitive: make someone do it

+ infinitive covers English "make" (force) and "have" (arrange):

UseSpanishEnglish
force .He/She made me wait an hour.
force .The teacher made us redo the exercise.
a cause .That song makes me cry.
a cause .The sun makes the plants grow.
arrange .I had the technician come round.

Nothing goes between and the infinitive: never " a " or " ". A noun doer usually comes after the infinitive: . - He/She made everyone laugh.

The longer version, + subjunctive, means the same and suits a long clause:

  • . - He/She made everyone wait.

Lo or le: the pronoun switch

direct object (lo, la)indirect object (le, les)What do the colours mean?

The person you make act is a pronoun, and which one depends on the infinitive:

InfinitiveSpanishEnglish
no object .I made him work.
no object .I made her wait.
its own object .I had him/her fix the car.
its own object .I had them sign the contract.
Person
hacer
Infinitive
Its object
empty

When the infinitive already has a direct object, the person moves to the indirect one. With a bare infinitive, is also correct and very common, especially in Spain ( , he/she made him/her laugh); the RAE accepts both, and and are the safe choice.

With me, , and the question never arises, because one form does both jobs:

  • . - He/She made me wait.
  • . - He/She made me fix the car.

Hacerse + infinitive: having it done

+ infinitive says something was done to you by someone else:

  • . - I had my hair cut.
  • . - He/She had a knee operation.

In everyday speech the plain reflexive is commoner, and it need not mean you did it yourself:

  • . - I had my hair cut. (or: I cut my hair)

For something made for you, use : . - I had a suit made.

Dejar: let

direct object (lo, la)indirect object (le, les)What do the colours mean?

+ infinitive is the everyday word for letting someone do something:

UseSpanishEnglish
allow .They let me in.
refuse .He/She won't let me speak.
command .Let me see.
no object .I let her go out.
an object .I let him/her use the car.

The same or switch applies. + subjunctive also works: Ana. - Let Ana do it.

Mandar, permitir, prohibir: order, allow, forbid

is the spoken word for telling someone to do something; is formal. and belong to rules and officialdom:

VerbSpanishEnglish
.The doctor told me to rest.
.The judge ordered the bar closed.
.They let me leave early.
.He/She was banned from driving for a year.

The more official the setting, the further right the verb sits:

At homeOn a sign
  1. No te dejo fumar.I won’t let you smoke
  2. No se permite fumar.smoking is not allowed
  3. Prohibido fumar.no smoking

All four also take + subjunctive: . - He/She ordered us to leave.

Two pronouns: me lo hizo repetir

The person's pronoun belongs to or . The infinitive's own object can stay on the infinitive or join it in front, with no change in meaning:

PositionSpanishEnglish
on the end .He/She made me repeat it.
in front .He/She made me repeat it.
on the end .They won't let me see it.
in front .They won't let me see it.
+ .I had him/her fix it.
a command .Let me see it.

In front, + becomes , as always. With a command, every pronoun joins the end: . - Make me laugh.

Mistakes English speakers make

WrongRightWhy
Me a . .nothing in between
Me a . .nothing in between
Me . . needs the subjunctive
. . has its own object
Me . .an infinitive, never -ndo
Me . .body parts take

What to do next

  1. Before choosing or , check whether the infinitive has its own object.
  2. Do the strict-father story below: forces, lets.
  3. Then perception verbs: looks the same but only watches.

Practise: test yourself

Sort into groups

0/6

Which pronoun can mean her in each sentence?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Complete the story

0/4

Choose the verb for each gap.

A strict father

Mi padre era muy estricto. Nunca me salir por la noche, aunque yo quería, y me estudiar dos horas cada tarde, aunque yo no quería. Un día me limpiar toda la casa como castigo. Pero cuando cumplí dieciocho años, por fin me ir de viaje con mis amigos.

Gap 1 of 4

Spot the mistake

0/4

Each sentence has one mistake. Tap it.

Pick the right one

0/4

Choose the verb that matches the English.

  1. El médico me descansar. (told me to rest)

  2. No se fumar. (smoking is not allowed)

  3. Esa canción me llorar. (makes me cry)

  4. hacer un traje. (I had a suit made)

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Frequently asked questions

How do you say 'make someone do something' in Spanish?
plus an infinitive, with nothing in between: (he/she made me wait), (that song makes me cry), (the teacher made us do the exercise again). plus the subjunctive says the same at more length: .
Why is it ' ' and not ' '?
Because already has its own object, . Two direct objects cannot share a sentence, so the person moves to the indirect object: (I had him fix the car). With an infinitive that has no object, the person stays direct: (I made him work). With me, , and the question never arises.
What is the difference between and ?
Both mean let or allow and both take an infinitive. is the everyday word: (he/she won't let me speak). is more formal and belongs to rules and notices: (smoking is not allowed). For a sign, Spanish uses + infinitive: .
How do you say 'I had my hair cut' in Spanish?
Most often with the plain reflexive: , which normally means the hairdresser did it. plus an infinitive spells it out: . For something made for you, use : (I had a suit made).
Where do the pronouns go with and ?
The person you make or let act goes before the conjugated verb: . The infinitive's own object can stay on the infinitive or join the person in front, with no change in meaning: or (he/she made me repeat it). With a command they all join the end: , .