Le faire causatif

The conjugated verb faire + an infinitive indicates someone is making someone do something.

• L’institutrice faire travailler les élèves.– The teacher makes the children work.

• Elle les fait lire et écrire.– She makes them read and write.

Faire + infinitive can also mean someone has something done by someone. Par is used to indicate the person doing the action.

• Il a fait réparer sa voiture par le méchanicien.– He had his car repaired by the mechanic.

• Elles vont faire construire une maison par un nouvel architecte.– They are going to have a house built by a new

architect.

Faire + infinitive can also show something is (or is not) causing something to happen.

• La guerre fait souffrir tant de gens.– War makes so many people suffer.

• Le soleil fait fondre la glace.– The sun is melting the ice.

• Le film n’a pas fait rire ces enfants.– The film didn’t make these children laugh.

NOTE: There is never agreement with a preceding direct object in the passé composé with causative faire.

• Ce film? Il ne les a pas fait rire.– This film? It didn’t make them laugh.

• As-tu vu Amélie? Qui l’a fait pleurer?– Did you see Amelie? Who made her cry?

NOTE: Laisser + infinitive means to let someone do something, to let something happen. There is only agreement with a preceding direct object if that object is doing the action of the infinitive.

• Elle a laissé sortir ses chiens.– She let her dogs go out.

• Elle les a laissés sortir.– She let them (her dogs) go out.

• Elle les a laissé examiner par le vétérinaire.– She let the vet examine them.