faire + Infinitive
Making Someone Do Something with Faire + Infinitive
The faire causative is used when the subject doesn't perform the action themselves, but rather causes it to happen. It translates to 'to make someone do,' 'to have something done,' or 'to get someone to do' something.
How It Works
The faire causative is a versatile structure in French used in three main ways:
- To make someone do something: Il fait pleurer son frère. (He makes his brother cry.)
- To have something done (services): Je fais réparer ma voiture. (I'm having my car repaired.)
- To get someone to do something: Elle fait lire les enfants. (She gets the children to read.)
Reflexive Use (se faire):
When the subject is also the recipient of the action, use se faire. This often translates to 'getting oneself' to do something or having something done to oneself: Il se fait couper les cheveux. (He is getting his hair cut.)
Word Order and Pronouns:
The infinitive must follow faire immediately. If you use an object pronoun, it must be placed before the conjugated form of faire. If both the agent and the object are pronouns, the agent becomes an indirect object pronoun (lui, leur) and follows the standard double pronoun order: Je le lui fais lire. (I make him read it.)
The Agent (The 'Doer'):
If you mention who is performing the action, use à or par if there is also a direct object.
Example: Je fais lire ce livre à mon fils. (I make my son read this book.)
Past Participle Agreement:
In compound tenses like the passé composé, the past participle fait is invariable. It never agrees with a preceding direct object, which is an exception to the usual agreement rules.
Examples (5)
- Je fais réparer mon vélo.
I am having my bike repaired.
Word by Word: I make to repair my bike.
Here, 'faire' indicates that the speaker is not doing the repair themselves but is arranging for it to be done.
- Le professeur fait travailler les élèves.
The teacher makes the students work.
Word by Word: The teacher makes to work the students.
This shows 'faire' used to induce or force an action.
- Je les fais venir demain.
I am having them come tomorrow.
Word by Word: I them make to come tomorrow.
Notice that the pronoun 'les' is placed before 'fais', not before the infinitive 'venir'.
- Elle s'est fait couper les cheveux.
She got her hair cut.
Word by Word: She herself is made to cut the hairs.
This uses the reflexive 'se faire' to show a service the subject received.
- La maison qu'il a fait construire est grande.
The house that he had built is big.
Word by Word: The house that he has made to build is big.
Note that 'fait' does not agree with 'la maison' because it is followed by an infinitive.
Common Mistakes
Placing the object between 'faire' and the infinitive.
Je fais ma voiture réparer.Je fais réparer ma voiture.In French, the causative 'faire' and the infinitive must stay together. The object follows the infinitive.
Placing the object pronoun before the infinitive.
Je fais le manger.Je le fais manger.Unlike other verb + infinitive constructions, pronouns in the causative construction move to the front of 'faire'.
Using 'faire' with an adjective to mean 'to make someone [adjective]'.
Cela me fait triste.Cela me rend triste.To say that something makes someone feel a certain way, standard French uses 'rendre' + adjective. 'Faire' + adjective is limited to set phrases such as 'il fait chaud'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn the 'faire causative', you must first be comfortable conjugating the verb 'faire' in the present tense. You also need to understand how French verbs can be followed directly by an infinitive (like 'vouloir' or 'aller') and how object pronouns are positioned when two verbs are used together.
- faire (présent)Irregular Verb Faire (To Do/make)
The causative construction is built using the conjugated forms of the verb 'faire'.
Level 1 - Verbs linked directly to an infinitive
The causative construction follows the structure of a semi-auxiliary verb followed directly by an infinitive without a preposition.
Level 2 - Object pronouns before an infinitive
Understanding where to place object pronouns in dual-verb constructions is essential for using the causative 'faire' with objects.
Level 2
Related Patterns
- laisser + InfinitiveLetting Someone Do Something with Laisser + Infinitive
Similar structure used to express 'letting' or 'permitting' someone to do something instead of 'making' them.
Level 3 - se faire + InfinitiveSomething Happening to You with Se Faire + Infinitive
The reflexive version of this pattern, often used to describe things that happen to the subject.
Level 4 - Agreement with a fronted direct object
The faire causative is a notable exception to these agreement rules; 'fait' remains invariable.
Level 2 - Order of two object pronouns together
Explains the sequence of pronouns when both the agent and the object are replaced by pronouns.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice faire + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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