Causative 'fare' with Combined Pronouns
The causative construction fare + infinitive shows that someone causes or lets another person do an action. When pronouns replace both the person (causee) and the object, they combine into a single unit (e.g., glielo, me la) and must come before the verb fare.
How It Works
The causative construction with combined pronouns follows strict rules of placement and morphology:
- Clitic Climbing: Unlike other verb combinations, pronouns must climb to the verb fare. You cannot attach them to the end of the infinitive. For example, 'I make him do it' is Glielo faccio fare, never *Faccio farglielo.
- The Causee's Role: If the main action is transitive (e.g., 'to wash the car'), the person doing the washing is the indirect object. If the action is intransitive (e.g., 'to laugh'), the person is the direct object. However, when using combined pronouns, you are by definition dealing with a transitive action, so the causee will always be the indirect part of the pair.
- Morphology: The indirect pronoun (the person) comes first and changes its vowel to -e (mi → me, ti → te, ci → ce, vi → ve). The third-person forms gli (to him) and le (to her) both become glie- and merge with the direct pronoun into one word: glielo, gliela, glieli, gliele.
- Agreement: In compound tenses like the passato prossimo, the past participle fatto must agree in gender and number with the direct object pronoun (e.g., Gliel'ho fatta lavare if 'it' is feminine).
Examples (5)
- Se non capisce il compito, glielo faccio rifare.
If he doesn't understand the assignment, I will make him do it again.
Word by Word: If not he understands the task, to-him-it I make redo.
'Glielo' combines 'gli' (to him) and 'lo' (it). It is placed before 'faccio'.
- È un segreto, non farmelo dire!
It's a secret, don't make me say it!
Word by Word: It is a secret, not make-to-me-it say!
With the negative imperative, the combined pronoun 'melo' attaches to the end of 'far(e)'.
- La torta è pronta; ce la fai assaggiare?
The cake is ready; will you let us taste it?
Word by Word: The cake is ready; to-us it you-make taste?
'Ce la' combines 'ci' (to us) and 'la' (it/the cake).
- Quella macchina? Gliel'ho fatta lavare ieri.
That car? I had him wash it yesterday.
Word by Word: That car? To-him-it I have made wash yesterday.
Note the agreement of 'fatta' with the feminine 'la' (the car).
- I bambini volevano il gelato e glielo abbiamo fatto comprare.
The children wanted ice cream and we let them buy it.
Word by Word: The children wanted the ice cream and to-them-it we have made buy.
'Glielo' is also used for the plural 'to them' in modern Italian causative constructions.
Common Mistakes
Using 'le lo' for a female causee.
Le lo faccio fare.Glielo faccio fare.In combined pronouns, 'gli' and 'le' both become 'glie-'. 'Glielo' can mean 'to him it' or 'to her it'.
Attaching the pronouns to the infinitive instead of 'fare'.
Faccio farglielo.Glielo faccio fare.In the causative construction, pronouns must climb to the verb 'fare'. They cannot stay with the infinitive.
Forgetting past participle agreement.
La macchina? Gliel'ho fatto lavare.La macchina? Gliel'ho fatta lavare.When a direct object pronoun (lo, la, li, le) precedes a compound tense, the past participle must agree with it.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn this pattern, you need to combine the causative use of the verb 'fare' with the system of combined object pronouns. You must understand how 'fare' functions to express an action caused by someone else and how to merge indirect and direct pronouns into a single block that precedes the verb 'fare'.
- fare + InfinitiveCausative 'Fare' + Infinitive
The learner must first understand the basic causative construction with 'fare' before adding complex pronoun combinations.
Level 3 - Combined Object Pronouns (Full System)
This pattern requires knowledge of how direct and indirect pronouns combine into single units (e.g., glielo, me la).
Level 3 - Clitic Pronoun Placement with the Infinitive
Understanding where pronouns are placed in relation to an infinitive is necessary to correctly position the combined pronouns in the causative structure.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- Past Participle Agreement with a Preceding Direct Object Pronoun
Crucial for using this pattern correctly in the past tense (e.g., 'fatta' vs 'fatto').
Level 3 - lasciare + Infinitive'Lasciare' + Infinitive (To Let)
A similar causative construction specifically used for 'letting' or 'permitting'.
Level 3 - glieneCombined Pronoun 'Gliene'
A specific combined pronoun used when the object is 'some of it' (ne) rather than 'it' (lo).
Level 3
Words in This Pattern
Sources
Practice Causative 'fare' with Combined Pronouns in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Italian lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
