Causative Constructions in Catalan

Overview

Causative constructions express the idea of making, having, or letting someone do something. At the B2 level, these structures let you describe situations where one person causes an action to be performed by another: "I had the car repaired" or "She makes me laugh."

The main causative verb in Catalan is fer (to make/do) combined with an infinitive: fer reparar el cotxe (to have the car repaired), fer riure (to make laugh). Deixar (to let/allow) is the permissive counterpart: Deixa'm parlar (Let me speak).

These constructions are common in everyday speech and expand your ability to describe complex social interactions and arrangements.

How It Works

Fer + Infinitive (Causative)

Pattern	Example	Meaning
fer + infinitive	He fet reparar el cotxe.	I had the car repaired.
fer + infinitive + person	Faig treballar els alumnes.	I make the students work.
fer + infinitive (emotion)	Em fa riure.	He/she makes me laugh.
fer + infinitive (entry)	Van fer entrar els convidats.	They had the guests come in.

Deixar + Infinitive (Permissive)

Pattern	Example	Meaning
deixar + infinitive	Deixa'm parlar!	Let me speak!
deixar + person + infinitive	No em deixes sol.	Don't leave me alone.

Pronoun Placement

Construction	Example
Before fer	Em fa riure. (He/she makes me laugh.)
After infinitive	Fer-lo treballar. (To make him work.)
Imperative	Fes-lo entrar! (Make him come in!)

Examples in Context

Catalan	English	Note
He fet reparar el cotxe.	I had the car repaired.	Arrangement
Em fa riure.	He/she makes me laugh.	Emotional cause
Deixa'm parlar!	Let me speak!	Permission
Van fer entrar els convidats.	They had the guests come in.	Directive
No em facis plorar.	Don't make me cry.	Negative emotional
Fes-ho fer per un professional.	Have it done by a professional.	Advice
Deixa'l anar!	Let him go!	Permission
La pel·lícula em va fer pensar.	The film made me think.	Intellectual cause
Ha fet construir una casa nova.	He/she had a new house built.	Commissioned action
No ens deixen fumar aquí.	They don't let us smoke here.	Prohibition

Common Mistakes

Confusing the agent and the object

• Ambiguous: Faig tallar el cabell. (I have the hair cut — by whom?)
• Clear: Faig tallar-me el cabell. or Em faig tallar el cabell. (I have my hair cut — by someone else)
• Why: Use reflexive pronouns or specify the agent to clarify who performs the action.

Using "hacer" patterns from Spanish

• Spanish pattern: Hago que trabaje (with subjunctive)
• Catalan pattern: Faig treballar (with infinitive)
• Why: Catalan uses fer + infinitive directly, without "que" + subjunctive.

Placing pronouns incorrectly

• Wrong: Fa riure em.
• Right: Em fa riure.
• Why: The pronoun representing the person affected goes before the conjugated "fer."

Usage Notes

The causative with fer is extremely versatile in Catalan. Beyond literal causation, it appears in many everyday expressions: fer saber (to let know), fer veure (to show/make see), fer servir (to use, literally "to make serve"). These semi-fixed expressions should be learned as vocabulary items.

Practice Tips

1. Practice describing services: "He fet netejar la casa. He fet revisar el cotxe. He fet fer unes fotos."
2. Practice with emotions: "Em fa riure. Em fa plorar. Em fa pensar. Em fa por."
3. Compare fer (make/have done) and deixar (let/allow): "Em fa treballar" (makes me work) vs. "Em deixa treballar" (lets me work).

Related Concepts

• Verbal Periphrases — other verb + infinitive constructions
• Common Irregular Verbs — fer conjugation