Do you do your own chores, or have them done for you?

The causative faire will help you express things that you don’t do for yourself, but rather, have others do for you. ENGLISH/FRENCH CONTRAST: in English we use the verb “have,” to express this idea. For example, “I have my dry cleaning done there,” or “I’ll have Johnny come over and mow the lawn.” But in French, we use faire.

Conjugated faire + infinitive = causative faire Examples: Je fais tondre la pelouse. I have the lawn mown. Ma mère fait nettoyer la maison. My mother has the house cleaned. Tu te coiffes, ou tu te fais coiffer? Do you do your hair, or do you have it done? Il ne fait pas déblayer la neige – il la déblaie! He doesn’t have the snow shoveled – he shovels it!

Don’t get confused! Many household chores in French use the verb faire, because it means “to do.” These “faire” chores can be used in the causative faire also. In that case, do not do anything differently! Conjugated faire + infinitive faire Je fais faire la vaisselle I have the dishes done Nous faisons faire la lessive le dimanche. We have the laundry done on Sundays.

Using different tenses and multiple verbs: Sample sentence: Je fais tondre la pelouse. Passé composé: J’ai fait tondre la pelouse. = I had the lawn mown Imparfait: Je faisais tondre la pelouse = I used to have the lawn mown Futur proche: Je vais faire tondre la pelouse = I’m going to have the lawn mown Vouloir Je veux faire tondre la pelouse = I want to have the lawn mown Aimer J’aime faire tondre la pelouse = I like having the lawn mown

The reason why the causative faire should make sense to you is that when you “have” something done, you “make” someone else do it. (faire = to do / to make)

“Making” others do things: Je fais manger mon fils. I make my son eat. Les serpents font pleurer l’enfant. Snakes make the child cry. Le prof fait écrire souvent les étudiants. The teacher makes the students write often

Object pronouns!! Je lui fais faire la lessive. I’m making him do the laundry. Je ne fais pas la lessive, je lui fais la faire. I’m not doing the laundry, I’m making him do it.

Object pronouns (cont’d) Question: Tu balaies le garage? Answer: Non, je le fais balayer. Question: Tu fais la cuisine? Answer: Non, je la fais faire. Question: Qu’est-ce que ton prof vous fait faire? Answer: Il nous fait discuter l’histoire du monde. Question: Tu augmentes tes notes? Answer: Oui, mes parents me font les augmenter.