What is the French faire causative construction 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
- View more French causative faire construction examples here
- You can download a PDF of this lesson guide in my private French Grammar Library
How is the French faire causative formed?
- Subject + Conjugated form of FAIRE + Infinitive
- After the infinitive you need a RECEIVER of the action that is being caused
Scroll down to watch a video lesson on the faire causative!
| Je fais réparer le lave-vaisselle. | I am having the dishwasher repaired. |
| Je + fais + infinitive + receiver (le lave-vaisselle) | I am making the dishwasher get repaired. |
| Je fais manger les enfants. | I am 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.
| Est-ce 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 of the French faire causative construction:
| 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’s having her wedding dress made. |
Faire faire
FAIRE FAIRE gets it’s own section because it looks so strange, 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. |
French Faire Causative Construction 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 her 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 Tu te feras mouillé(e) si tu ne prends pas de parapluie. | You’ll get wet if you don’t take an umbrella. |
| se faire arrêter Les méchants se sont fait arrêter. *no agreement | The bad guys got arrested. |
French Faire Causative Construction 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. *no agreement: |
| Je fais promener le chien. | Je le fais promener. |
| Il a fait manger les vaches. | Il les a fait manger. *no agreement: |
French Faire Causative Construction Video Lesson
The problem with French grammar for English speakers is that the words just aren’t set up the same was as we’re used to in our own language. Learning tenses, pronouns, and adjectives is a big part of French grammar, BUT there are many idiomatic expressions and ways of speaking to learn if you really want to be able to express yourself.
In this lesson you will learn a way to use the verb FAIRE that you may not know about. It is ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL that you learn about the French faire causative construction. I’m not kidding. You have to know how to do this. Why is it so important? Well, think of all the times when you want to say things like:
I must have the dishwasher repaired.
WRONG ANSWER: Je dois réparer le lave-vaisselle.
CORRECT ANSWER: Je dois faire réparer le lave-vaisselle.
Are you going to have your shirts ironed?
WRONG ANSWER: Tu vas repasser tes chemises?
CORRECT ANSWER: Tu vas faire repasser tes chemises?
I am going to have a cake made.
WRONG ANSWER: Je vais faire un gâteau.
CORRECT ANSWER: Je vais faire faire un gâteau.
