THE CAUSATIVE FAIRE

1. THE CAUSATIVE FAIRE Do you do your own chores, or have them done for you?

2. 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.

3. Conjugated faire + infinitive = causative faire Examples: Je faistondre la pelouse. I have the lawn mown. Ma mère fait nettoyer la maison. My mother has the house cleaned. Tutecoiffes, oututefaiscoiffer? 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!

4. 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 lessivele dimanche. • We have the laundry done on Sundays.

5. Using different tenses and multiple verbs: Sample sentence: Je faistondre la pelouse. Passé composé: J’ai fait tondre la pelouse. = I had the lawn mown Imparfait: Je faisaistondre la pelouse = I used to have the lawn mown Futurproche: 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

6. 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)

7. “Making” others do things: • Je fais manger monfils. • I make my son eat. • Les serpents font pleurerl’enfant. • Snakes make the child cry. • Le prof fait écriresouvent les étudiants. • The teacher makes the students write often

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

9. Object pronouns (cont’d) Question: Tubalaiesle garage? Answer: Non, je lefaisbalayer. Question: Tufaisla cuisine? Answer: Non, je lafais faire. Question: Qu’est-ceque ton profvous fait faire? Answer: Il nous fait discuterl’histoire du monde. Question: Tuaugmentestes notes? Answer: Oui, mes parents me font les augmenter.