Causative Constructions in Norwegian

Overview

Causative constructions express the idea of making, letting, or getting someone to do something. In Norwegian, these are built around a small set of verbs — primarily "få" (get/make), "la" (let), and "be" (ask) — each with distinct syntax and shades of meaning. These constructions are fundamental to B2-level Norwegian because they allow speakers to describe influence, permission, and requests in a natural way.

English speakers will find partial parallels ("get someone to," "let someone," "have something done"), but the Norwegian patterns differ in important ways. The verb "få" in particular is extremely versatile and does not map neatly onto any single English verb. It can mean "get," "make," "manage to," or "have (something done)," depending on the construction.

Understanding causative constructions also deepens your grasp of Norwegian clause structure, since they involve embedding one verb phrase inside another while maintaining the V2 word order rule in main clauses.

How It Works

The Three Core Causative Verbs

Verb	Pattern	Meaning	Force Level
få	få + noen + til å + infinitive	get/make someone (to do)	Medium to high
la	la + noen + bare infinitive	let/allow someone (to do)	Permission
be	be + noen + om å + infinitive	ask someone (to do)	Polite request

"Få noen til å" — Getting/Making Someone Do Something

This is the most complex and versatile causative. It uses the preposition "til" plus the infinitive marker "å":

Norwegian	English
Jeg fikk ham til å le.	I made him laugh.
Hun fikk barna til å rydde.	She got the children to tidy up.

The past tense of "få" is "fikk." Note that this construction implies some effort or influence was exerted.

"La noen" — Letting/Allowing Someone

"La" takes a bare infinitive (no "å"):

Norwegian	English
La meg tenke.	Let me think.
Hun lot barna leke ute.	She let the children play outside.

The past tense of "la" is "lot." The imperative form "la" is identical to the infinitive.

"Be noen om å" — Asking Someone To

"Be" uses the preposition "om" plus "å":

Norwegian	English
Vi ba dem om å vente.	We asked them to wait.
Han ba meg om å hjelpe.	He asked me to help.

The past tense of "be" is "ba." This is the most polite of the three causatives.

Passive Causative with "Få"

"Få" can also create a passive-like meaning (having something done):

Norwegian	English
Jeg fikk bilen reparert.	I got the car repaired.
Hun fikk håret klippet.	She got her hair cut.

Here, "få" + object + past participle indicates that someone arranged for something to be done, without specifying who did it.

Negation

Negation typically goes before the infinitive in the subordinate part:

Norwegian	English
Jeg fikk ham til å ikke gjøre det.	I got him not to do it.
La oss ikke snakke om det.	Let's not talk about it.

Examples in Context

Norwegian	English	Note
Jeg fikk ham til å le.	I made him laugh.	Causative with "få"
La henne komme inn.	Let her come in.	Permission with "la"
Vi ba dem om å vente.	We asked them to wait.	Request with "be"
Hun lot barna leke.	She let the children play.	Past tense of "la"
Læreren fikk elevene til å lytte.	The teacher got the students to listen.	Influence/effort implied
La meg forklare.	Let me explain.	Common fixed phrase
De ba oss om å komme tidlig.	They asked us to come early.	Polite request
Jeg fikk PCen reparert.	I got the PC repaired.	Passive causative
Vi lot dem bestemme selv.	We let them decide for themselves.	Past permission
Han fikk meg til å tro det.	He made me believe it.	Persuasion
Kan du be henne om å ringe meg?	Can you ask her to call me?	Embedded request
La oss gå!	Let's go!	Very common imperative

Common Mistakes

Wrong: Jeg fikk ham å le. Right: Jeg fikk ham til å le. Why: The "få" causative requires "til å" before the infinitive. Without "til," the sentence is ungrammatical.

Wrong: La henne å komme inn. Right: La henne komme inn. Why: "La" takes a bare infinitive without "å." Adding "å" is a common error influenced by the other causative patterns.

Wrong: Vi ba dem å vente. Right: Vi ba dem om å vente. Why: "Be" requires the preposition "om" before "å." Dropping "om" is incorrect in standard Bokmål.

Wrong: Jeg lot bilen reparere. Right: Jeg fikk bilen reparert. Why: The passive causative ("having something done") uses "få" + past participle, not "la" + infinitive. "La" implies giving permission, not arranging for service.

Wrong: Hun ba meg hjelpe. Right: Hun ba meg om å hjelpe. Why: Both "om" and "å" are required with "be." English allows "asked me to help" without a preposition, but Norwegian needs the full "om å" structure.

Usage Notes

All three causative verbs are common in both spoken and written Norwegian. "La" is the most frequent in everyday conversation, especially in fixed phrases like "la oss" (let's) and "la meg" (let me). "Få noen til å" appears in all registers and is essential for narration and explanation. "Be noen om å" is slightly more formal and polite.

In informal speech, some speakers shorten "be noen om å" to just "be noen å" (dropping "om"), but this is considered non-standard in written Bokmål.

The passive causative with "få + past participle" is extremely common in daily life for describing services: getting a haircut, having a car serviced, getting something delivered.

Practice Tips

1. Describe a typical day using causatives. Practice sentences like "Jeg fikk sønnen min til å stå opp" (I got my son to get up) and "Jeg lot ham velge frokost" (I let him choose breakfast). This builds fluency with all three patterns in familiar contexts.

2. Pay attention to the preposition patterns. Make flashcards specifically for the three structures: "få + til å," "la + bare infinitive," "be + om å." The prepositions are the most error-prone element.

3. Practice the passive causative with services. List things you have had done recently and express them with "fikk + past participle": "Jeg fikk leiligheten vasket" (I had the apartment cleaned).

Related Concepts

• Parent: Conditional Mood — Conditional structures that often combine with causative verbs in complex sentences.