Laten Constructions in Dutch

Overview

The verb laten is one of the most versatile and frequently used verbs in Dutch. Depending on context, it can mean "to let," "to allow," "to have something done," or "to make someone do something." It also forms the basis for suggestions with laten we (let's). If you want to say you had your hair cut, let someone borrow your bike, or suggest going to a restaurant, laten is the verb you need.

At the B2 level, mastering laten constructions is important because they appear in everyday conversation and are essential for expressing causative actions -- situations where you arrange for something to happen rather than doing it yourself. This is a concept that English handles with "have" or "get" (I had my car washed), and Dutch handles with laten.

The main grammatical challenge is that laten combines with an infinitive and, in the perfect tense, triggers the double infinitive construction (Ik heb mijn auto laten wassen instead of the expected gelaten). This connects directly to the double infinitive pattern you studied at B1.

How It Works

Core Meanings of Laten

Meaning	Pattern	Example
To let / allow	laten + object + infinitive	Zij laat de kinderen spelen. (She lets the children play.)
To have something done	laten + object + infinitive	Ik laat mijn haar knippen. (I'm having my hair cut.)
To leave (alone)	laten + object + adverb/phrase	Laat hem met rust. (Leave him alone.)
To make (causative)	laten + object + infinitive	De film liet me huilen. (The film made me cry.)
Let's (suggestion)	laten we + infinitive	Laten we gaan. (Let's go.)

Conjugation of Laten

Tense	Form	Example
Present	ik laat, jij laat, hij laat, wij laten	Ik laat het repareren.
Simple past	ik liet, jij liet, hij liet, wij lieten	Ik liet het repareren.
Present perfect	ik heb ... laten + infinitive	Ik heb het laten repareren.
Past perfect	ik had ... laten + infinitive	Ik had het laten repareren.

The Double Infinitive Rule

In the perfect tense, laten does not become gelaten when combined with another infinitive. Instead, it stays as laten (infinitive form):

Tense	Correct	Incorrect
Present perfect	Ik heb mijn auto laten wassen.	Ik heb mijn auto gelaten wassen.
Past perfect	Hij had de deur laten openstaan.	Hij had de deur gelaten openstaan.

Word order in subordinate clauses with double infinitive:

Main Clause	Subordinate Clause
Ik heb het laten maken.	...omdat ik het heb laten maken.
	...omdat ik het laten maken heb. (also correct)

Laten + Specific Patterns

Having services done (causative):

Dutch	English	Service
Ik laat mijn haar knippen.	I'm having my hair cut.	Haircut
Wij laten het huis schilderen.	We're having the house painted.	Painting
Hij laat zijn auto wassen.	He's having his car washed.	Car wash
Zij liet een pak maken.	She had a suit made.	Tailoring
Laat je eten bezorgen.	Have your food delivered.	Delivery

Letting / allowing:

Dutch	English
Laat me even nadenken.	Let me think for a moment.
Zij laat de kinderen buiten spelen.	She lets the children play outside.
Laat het maar.	Just leave it. / Never mind.
Laat je niet gek maken.	Don't let them drive you crazy.

Suggestions with laten we:

Dutch	English
Laten we beginnen.	Let's begin.
Laten we zeggen om acht uur.	Let's say at eight o'clock.
Laten we eerlijk zijn.	Let's be honest.
Laat ik het zo zeggen...	Let me put it this way...

Laten vs Verlaten vs Achterlaten

Do not confuse these related but distinct verbs:

Verb	Meaning	Example
laten	to let / to have done	Ik laat het repareren.
verlaten	to leave (a place/person)	Hij verliet het gebouw.
achterlaten	to leave behind	Zij liet een bericht achter.
nalaten	to fail to do / to bequeath	Hij liet na te bellen.

Examples in Context

Dutch	English	Note
Ik laat mijn haar knippen.	I'm having my hair cut.	Causative: service
Laat hem met rust.	Leave him alone.	Imperative: leave be
Hij heeft zijn auto laten wassen.	He had his car washed.	Perfect tense: double infinitive
Zij laat de kinderen spelen.	She lets the children play.	Permission
Laten we naar het strand gaan.	Let's go to the beach.	Suggestion
De muziek laat me denken aan vroeger.	The music makes me think of the past.	Causative: emotional
Ik heb het laten vallen.	I dropped it. (I let it fall.)	Accidental causative
Laat ik het zo zeggen...	Let me put it this way...	Framing a statement
Zij liet de dokter komen.	She sent for the doctor.	Causative: summoning
Hij liet niets van zich horen.	He didn't get in touch. (He let nothing be heard from him.)	Idiomatic
Kun je de hond even uit laten?	Can you walk the dog? (let the dog out)	Separable: uitlaten
Laat maar, het maakt niet uit.	Never mind, it doesn't matter.	Very common expression

Common Mistakes

Using Gelaten Instead of Laten in Perfect Tense

• Wrong: Ik heb mijn auto gelaten wassen.
• Right: Ik heb mijn auto laten wassen.
• Why: When laten is followed by another infinitive, the double infinitive rule applies: laten stays in infinitive form, not past participle.

Confusing Laten and Verlaten

• Wrong: Ik laat het kantoor om vijf uur. (meaning: I leave the office at five.)
• Right: Ik verlaat het kantoor om vijf uur.
• Why: Laten does not mean "to leave a place." Use verlaten for departing from a location.

Wrong Word Order with Laten We

• Wrong: We laten gaan.
• Right: Laten we gaan. or Laat ons gaan. (more formal/Flemish)
• Why: For suggestions, laten comes first in inverted position: Laten we... The subject we follows the verb.

Forgetting the Infinitive

• Wrong: Ik laat mijn haar. (incomplete)
• Right: Ik laat mijn haar knippen.
• Why: The laten + causative construction requires an infinitive to specify what action is being done.

Mixing Up Active and Passive Meaning

• Wrong: Interpreting Ik laat het huis schilderen as "I'm painting the house myself."
• Right: It means "I'm having the house painted (by someone else)."
• Why: Laten + infinitive implies arranging for someone else to do the action, not doing it yourself.

Usage Notes

Laten constructions are equally common in spoken and written Dutch. The causative use (iets laten doen -- having something done) is everyday language for services, repairs, and delegated tasks. The suggestion form (laten we) is universal in both formal and informal contexts.

In Flemish Dutch, Laat ons... is often used instead of Laten we... for suggestions. Both are correct, but Laat ons has a slightly more formal or traditional tone in the Netherlands.

The expression laat maar (never mind / forget it) is extremely common in conversation and is worth memorizing as a fixed phrase. Similarly, laat me met rust (leave me alone) and laat het maar aan mij over (just leave it to me) are high-frequency idiomatic uses.

Practice Tips

• Make a list of services you use or could use (haircut, car repair, house cleaning, food delivery) and practice expressing them with laten: Ik laat mijn..., Ik heb mijn... laten... This grounds the construction in practical, memorable situations.
• Practice converting between present and perfect tense with laten: Ik laat het maken becomes Ik heb het laten maken. Focus on the double infinitive pattern until it feels automatic.
• Use laten we to make suggestions in your daily Dutch practice. Every time you would say "let's" in English, try the Dutch equivalent. It is a simple way to internalize the pattern.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Double Infinitive -- the grammatical rule that governs laten in perfect tenses
• Next steps: Indirect Questions -- another B2 construction for complex sentence building
• Next steps: Participial Constructions -- alternative ways to express completed and ongoing actions