a PDF version of this Faire – Causative Construction lesson

French Causative What is the French causative and how do you use it? ● Describes an action that is being caused by someone or something ● This action is not being performed by someone or something ● The subject of the sentence makes someone do something How is the French causative formed? ● Subject + Conjugated form of FAIRE + Infinitive ● After the infinitive you need a RECEIVER of the action that is being caused Je fais réparer le lave­vaisselle. I am having the dishwasher repaired. Je + fais + infinitive + receiver (le lave­vaisselle) I am making the dishwasher get repaired. Je fais manger les enfants. I’m having the children eat. Je + fais + manger + receiver (les enfants) I am making the children eat. In English, when we translate FAIRE as I AM MAKING it really sounds like we are almost forcing the receiver to do the action. That is not how you should translate these because in French the sense of the verb FAIRE is different in the causative. You are HAVING someone do something. Est­ce que tu vas faire laver tes chemises? Are you going to have your shirts washed? Futur Proche: Tu + vas + faire infinitive + other infinitive + receiver (tes chemises) Are you going to make your shirts get washed? Tu fais faire un bouquet de fleurs? Are you having a bouquet of flowers made? Tu + fais + infinitive + receiver (un bouquet de fleurs) Are you making a bouquet of flowers get made? Other examples Il fait sortir les mouches. He’s making the flies go away. Vous faites travailler vos élèves. You are having your students work. Les oignons font pleurer maman. Onions make mom cry. Elle fait faire sa robe de mariée. She is having her wedding dress made. «Faire faire» FAIRE FAIRE gets it’s own section because it looks so weird, but it is correct! Je vais me faire faire les ongles. I am going to have my nails done. Tu vas te faire faire couper les cheveux? Are you going to have your hair done? Elle veut faire faire une tarte. She wants to have a pie made. On devrait faire faire les pizzas pour la fête. We should have the pizzas made for the party. Je vais me faire faire un massage. I am going to get a massage. French causative with reflexive pronouns Note that with the reflexive causative, the reflexive pronoun is always the indirect object. Remember the rule that says when a reflexive pronoun is indirect you do NOT make agreement on the past participle. se faire couper les cheveux Ma fille se fait couper les cheveux ce matin. Ma fille s’est fait couper les cheveux ce matin. *no agreement My daughter is having his hair cut this morning. se faire apporter (livrer) le déjeuner Tu devrais te faire apporter le déjeuner au bureau. You should have lunch brought to you at work. se faire virer Elle s’est fait virer. *no agreement She got fired. se faire avoir Je ne vais pas me faire avoir. I’m not going to be had. se faire mouiller You’ll get wet if you don’t take an umbrella. Tu te feras mouillé(e) si tu ne prends pas de parapluie. se faire arrêter Les méchants se sont fait arrêter. *no agreement The bad guys got arrested. French causative with pronouns Normally when a compound tense is preceded by a direct object, there needs to be agreement. However, this is not the case with the causative, which has no direct object agreement. Je fais écrire ​
Robert​
. Je le fais écrire. Tu te fais laver ​
ta voiture​
? Tu te la fais laver. Il peut se faire raser​
le visage​
. Il peut se le faire raser. J’ai fait étudier ​
Chantal​
. Je l’ai fait étudier. *on ne fait pas l’accord: ​
faite Je fais promener ​
le chien​
. Je le fais promener. Il a fait manger ​
les vaches​
. Il les a fait manger. *on ne fait pas l’accord: ​
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