让 (causative)
HSK 3- Causative
Structure (结构 jiégòu)
Meaning (意思 yìsi)
让 is used to express causing or allowing someone to do something.
Explanation (解释 jiěshì)
The verb 让 (ràng) means "to make/cause" or "to allow/let" someone do something. It introduces a person/thing (subject 2) who performs an action, as a result of the influence of the original person/thing (subject 1).
The meaning of 让 can be coercive ("to make, to force") or permissive ("to let, to allow"), depending on the context of the sentence. For example, 妈妈不让我出去玩 is "to allow/permit," while 他的话让我很生气 is "to make/cause."
Examples (例句 lìjù)(5)
- 他的话让我很生气。繁: 他的話讓我很生氣。Tā de huà ràng wǒ hěn shēngqì.
His words made me very angry.
- 妈妈不让我看电视。繁: 媽媽不讓我看電視。Māma bú ràng wǒ kàn diànshì.
My mother won't let me watch television.
- 老师让我们回家。繁: 老師讓我們回家。Lǎoshī ràng wǒmen huí jiā.
The teacher told us to go home.
- 你让我再想一想。繁: 你讓我再想一想。Nǐ ràng wǒ zài xiǎng yi xiǎng.
Let me think about it a bit more.
- 这件事让他很高兴。繁: 這件事讓他很高興。Zhè jiàn shì ràng tā hěn gāoxìng.
This matter made him very happy.
Common mistakes
- Wrong:他做我很高兴。Correct:他让我很高兴。
To express "make/cause someone to...", use the verb 让, not 做.
- Wrong:我让去他。Correct:我让他去。
The person performing the action (he) must stand immediately after 让 and before the verb.