facer / deixar + Infinitive
Making and Letting: Facer and Deixar + Infinitive
Facer + infinitive means to make someone do something, and deixar + infinitive means to let them: Fíxome rir (he made me laugh), Deixoume pasar (she let me through).
How It Works
The pattern
facer or deixar + infinitive, with no preposition between them: Fíxome rir, Deixoume pasar, Non me deixan saír (they do not let me go out).
Where the pronoun goes
The person who is made or allowed to act belongs to facer or deixar, so the pronoun goes with that verb, following the normal placement rules: after it in a plain statement (Fíxome rir), before it after non or a question word (Non me fixo rir, Quen te deixou entrar?).
- With an infinitive that has no object, use a direct object pronoun: Fíxoo chorar (it made him cry), Deixouna durmir (he let her sleep).
- When the infinitive has its own object, the person is often shown with lle: Fíxenlle repetir o exercicio (I made him redo the exercise).
Getting something done. Facer + infinitive can also mean having a job done by someone else: Fixen arranxar o coche (I had the car repaired).
Letting: deixar. Deixar + infinitive works the same way and is very common in imperatives: Déixame ver (let me see), Deixádeos xogar (let them play).
No personal infinitive here. The infinitive after facer and deixar normally stays plain, as in other verb phrases. It does not need the personal infinitive, because the pronoun on facer or deixar already shows who acts.
For the related pattern with seeing and hearing, see perception verbs + infinitive.
Examples (6)
- Ese filme fíxome rir moito.
That film made me laugh a lot.
Word by Word: That film made-me laugh much.
Me goes with facer (fíxome), not with the infinitive.
- O porteiro deixoume pasar sen entrada.
The doorman let me in without a ticket.
Deixar + infinitive means to allow; the pronoun attaches to deixou.
- A noticia fíxoo chorar.
The news made him cry.
With an infinitive that has no object, the person is a direct object pronoun: o.
- Os meus pais non me deixan saír á noite.
My parents do not let me go out at night.
Non pulls me before deixan.
- Fixen arranxar o coche no taller.
I had the car repaired at the garage.
Facer + infinitive can mean having someone else do a job.
- Déixame ver as fotos!
Let me see the photos!
An affirmative imperative takes the pronoun after it: déixame.
Common Mistakes
Starting the sentence with the pronoun, as in Spanish.
Me fixo rir moito.Fíxome rir moito.A Galician statement never starts with an unstressed pronoun; with nothing before the verb, it goes after facer.
Attaching the pronoun to the infinitive.
O filme fixo rirme.O filme fíxome rir.The person who is made to act is the object of facer, so the pronoun goes with facer.
Using the Spanish form of the infinitive to laugh.
Fíxonos reír.Fíxonos rir.The Galician infinitive is rir, not reír.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Facer and deixar can introduce another participant's action through an infinitive.
Related Patterns
- ver / oír + InfinitivePerception Verbs + Infinitive
Perception verbs follow the same verb + infinitive pattern, with the pronoun on the first verb.
Level 4 - Pronouns Before the Verb After Negatives
After non the pronoun moves before facer or deixar: non me deixan saír.
Level 2 - me / te / o / a / nos / vos / os / asDirect Object Pronouns
The direct object pronouns used for the person who is made or allowed to act.
Level 2 - Pronouns in Verb Phrases
Compares ordinary verb phrases, where the pronoun has two possible places, with facer + infinitive.
Level 4
Words in This Pattern
Practice facer / deixar + Infinitive in Bubblegum
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