The verb lassen is one of the most important and versatile verbs in German. It has four distinct meanings depending on context: "let" (allow), "make/cause" (compel an action), "have done" (commission an action), and "leave/abandon" (desist from). A single verb that opens doors—literally and figuratively—to expressing causation, permission, and action. Mastering lassen is essential for fluent German.
What makes lassen remarkable is its chameleon nature. In different sentences, it transforms meaning completely. "Lass mich!" (Let me!) is a plea for permission. "Der Film lässt mich weinen" (The film makes me cry) describes causation. "Ich lasse mir die Haare schneiden" (I have my hair cut) commissions an action. These four meanings coexist in one verb, creating a semantic richness that characterizes German expression.
Four Meanings of Lassen
The four uses of lassen are semantically distinct but share the core idea of "releasing" agency or responsibility. Understanding the nuances between them is crucial for accurate usage.
1. To Allow / Permit
Subject allows another to perform an action Lass mich gehen!
(Let me go! / Allow me to go!)
2. To Make / Cause
Subject causes an action or state Das Buch lässt mich denken.
(The book makes me think.)
3. To Have Done
Subject commissions another to perform Ich lasse mir ein Kleid machen.
(I have a dress made / I commission a dress.)
4. To Leave / Stop / Abandon
Subject ceases an action or relinquishes Lass das! (Stop that!) Ich lasse das Auto hier.
(I leave the car here.)
The Verb's Flexibility
Lassen is fundamentally about releasing, allowing, or permitting agency. Whether you're permitting someone to act, causing an action, commissioning an action, or abandoning an action, the core concept remains: something is released from the subject's direct control or responsibility.
Meaning 1: To Allow / Permit
When lassen means "to allow," the subject permits another entity to perform an action. The syntax is straightforward: subject + lässt + object + infinitive.
Pattern: Allow Someone to Do Something
Example 1
Lass mich gehen. (Let me go.)
You allow me to leave.
Example 2
Der Lehrer lässt die Schüler nach Hause gehen. (The teacher lets the students go home.)
The teacher permits the students to leave.
Example 3
Lass mich das erklären. (Let me explain that.)
Allow me to clarify this matter.
The Infinitive Form
When lassen is conjugated, the accompanying verb remains in the infinitive form. This is crucial: "Ich lasse dich gehen" (I let you go), not "Ich lasse dich gehst."
Meaning 2: To Make / Cause
This use of lassen expresses causation. The subject doesn't permit—it causes or compels an action or emotional state. This is how German speakers naturally express cause-and-effect relationships.
Pattern: Make Someone/Something Do Something
Example 1
Der Film lässt mich weinen. (The film makes me cry.)
The film causes me to cry; I cry because of the film.
Example 2
Sein Verhalten lässt mich zweifeln. (His behavior makes me doubt.)
His behavior causes me to have doubts.
Example 3
Das Konzert ließ die Menschen tanzen. (The concert made people dance.)
The concert caused people to dance.
Example 4
Diese Nachricht ließ mich erschrecken. (This news made me startle.)
The news caused me to be frightened.
Emotional Causation
Lassen in the causative sense is often used with verbs of emotion or mental state: "lässt mich denken" (makes me think), "lässt mich fragen" (makes me ask), "lässt mich hoffen" (makes me hope). These reveal how external forces influence internal states.
Meaning 3: To Have Done / Commission
This meaning is crucial for daily life. When you say lassen + dative reflexive + direct object, you're commissioning someone else to perform an action on your behalf. This is how Germans express having services done.
Pattern: Have Someone Do Something (Commission)
Structure: Subject + lässt + dative reflexive + direct object + infinitive
Example 1 — Hair
Ich lasse mir die Haare schneiden. (I have my hair cut.)
I commission someone to cut my hair. I don't cut it myself—I pay someone to do it.
Example 2 — Food
Sie lässt sich ein Essen bringen. (She has a meal brought to her.)
She commissions someone to bring her food.
Example 3 — Car Repair
Ich lasse mir das Auto reparieren. (I have my car repaired.)
I commission a mechanic to repair my car.
Example 4 — Clothing
Er lässt sich einen Anzug machen. (He has a suit made.)
He commissions a tailor to create a custom suit.
The Dative Reflexive
The dative reflexive (mir, dir, sich, uns, euch, sich) is essential here. It indicates that the action benefits the subject. "Ich lasse mir einen Kaffee bringen" literally means "I let for myself a coffee be brought," but idiomatically means "I have someone bring me coffee."
Meaning 4: To Leave / Stop / Abandon
This use of lassen is simpler and more literal. It means to leave something behind, to stop doing something, or to abandon an action or object.
Pattern: Leave / Stop / Abandon
Example 1 — Stop an Action
Lass das! (Stop that!)
Cease that action immediately.
Example 2 — Leave a Location
Ich lasse das Auto hier. (I leave the car here.)
I'm departing and leaving the car behind in this location.
Example 3 — Stop a Habit
Lass dich vom Rauchen! (Stop smoking!)
Cease the habit of smoking.
Example 4 — Abandon a Topic
Lass das Thema! (Drop the topic!)
Stop discussing this subject.
Compound Verbs with Lassen
German has several important verbs that are compounds containing lassen. These are independent verbs with their own meanings, derived from the core lassen concept.
Verb
Meaning & Usage
verlassen
To leave, abandon, desert. Subject actively departs from a place or relationship. "Ich verlasse dich." (I leave you—departing for good or ending a relationship.)
nachlassen
To decrease, diminish, ease up. "Der Regen lässt nach." (The rain is decreasing.) / "Du musst nachlassen!" (You need to ease up!)
zulassen
To allow, permit, tolerate. "Das kann ich nicht zulassen." (I cannot allow that.) / Often with accusative: "zulässig" (permitted, allowed).
hinterlassen
To leave behind, bequeath, leave as a legacy. "Er hinterlässt eine Familie." (He leaves behind a family.) Often used in legal or formal contexts.
ablassen
To let off, discharge, drain. "Wasser ablassen." (To drain water.) / "Von jemandem ablassen" (To stop bothering someone).
auslassen
To omit, skip, leave out. "Ein Wort auslassen." (To omit a word.) / "Seinen Ärger auslassen" (To vent one's anger).
The Core 5 Lassen Words
These five terms form the essential vocabulary for using lassen in all its meanings. Mastery of these will give you fluency with this crucial verb.
lassen
to let, allow, make, have done, leave
The primary verb with four distinct meanings. One of the most important verbs in German. Present tense: lasse, lässt, lässt, lassen, lasst, lassen. Past tense: ließ. Perfect: gelassen.
"Lass mich gehen" (Let me go) / "Das lässt mich denken" (That makes me think) / "Ich lasse mir einen Kaffee bringen" (I have coffee brought to me) / "Lass das!" (Stop that!)
verlassen
to leave, abandon, desert
A separable compound verb where the subject actively departs from a location or relationship. This is not about permission—it's about departing. The past participle "verlassen" also functions as an adjective meaning "abandoned" or "forsaken."
"Ich verlasse dich." (I'm leaving you.) / "Das verlassene Haus" (The abandoned house) / "Wir verlassen das Büro." (We're leaving the office.)
zulassen
to allow, permit, tolerate, admit
A separable compound meaning to allow something to happen or to admit someone into a space. Often appears in negative constructions. The adjective "zulässig" means "permissible" or "allowable."
"Das kann ich nicht zulassen." (I cannot allow that.) / "Er wird zum Prüfung zugelassen." (He is admitted to the exam.) / "Ist das zulässig?" (Is that permissible?)
nachlassen
to decrease, diminish, ease up, let up
A separable compound describing reduction or decrease. Used for weather, intensity, effort, prices—anything that becomes less intense or severe. Also means "to give a discount" or "to be lenient."
"Der Regen lässt nach." (The rain is decreasing.) / "Seine Kraft lässt nach." (His strength is waning.) / "Der Preis wird nachgelassen." (The price is discounted.)
hinterlassen
to leave behind, bequeath, leave as a legacy
A separable compound used when someone departs and leaves something or someone behind—often permanently. Used in legal contexts for wills and inheritances, and in literary contexts for legacies and impressions.
"Er hinterlässt eine Familie." (He leaves behind a family.) / "Sie hinterlässt ein Vermögen." (She leaves behind a fortune.) / "Eine tiefe Spur hinterlassen" (To leave a deep mark/impression.)
Practical Contexts: Real-World Usage
Lassen appears constantly in everyday German. From giving permission to commissioning services, from describing causes to describing departures, lassen is woven into daily speech and writing.
Permission & Requests
Asking for Permission
Lass mich das erklären. Lass mich das versuchen. Lasst mich raus!
Let me explain that. Let me try that. Let me out!
Causation & Effect
Describing What Something Causes
Das macht mich traurig. Die Musik lässt mich tanzen. Die Geschichte lässt mich nachdenken.
That makes me sad. The music makes me dance. The story makes me think.
Commissioning Services
Having Things Done
Ich lasse mir einen Anzug machen. Sie lässt sich die Nägel lackieren. Wir lassen uns das Auto waschen.
I'm having a suit made. She's having her nails done. We're having our car washed.
Stopping & Departing
Ceasing or Leaving
Lass das! Ich verlasse dich. Lass mich in Ruhe! Wir verlassen das Gebäude.
Stop that! I'm leaving you. Leave me alone! We're leaving the building.
Lassen with Infinitives: The Causative Construction
When lassen appears with an infinitive verb, it creates a powerful causative construction. The accompanying verb stays in the infinitive form (never conjugated). This is how German naturally expresses "making" someone do something or "letting" something happen.
Lassen + Infinitive Construction
Pattern: Subject + lässt + object + infinitive verb
Allow Pattern
Der Lehrer lässt die Schüler nach Hause gehen.
The teacher lets the students go home. (Teacher allows students to depart)
Cause Pattern
Die Musik lässt mich tanzen.
The music makes me dance. (Music causes dancing)
Have Done Pattern
Ich lasse mein Auto reparieren.
I have my car repaired. (I commission repair work)
Word Order Note
In subordinate clauses, the infinitive stays at the end: "Ich weiß, dass der Lehrer die Schüler nach Hause gehen lässt."
Note: The infinitive doesn't move even in subordinate position.
Lassen in Different Tenses
Like all German verbs, lassen conjugates across all tenses. The core meaning remains, but the temporal frame shifts. Here's how lassen appears across the most common tenses.
Conjugating Lassen Across Tenses
Present Tense
Ich lasse dich gehen. (I let you go.)
Simple Past (Präteritum)
Ich ließ dich gehen. (I let you go. — past event)
Perfect Tense (Perfekt)
Ich habe dich gehen lassen. (I have let you go.)
Future Tense
Ich werde dich gehen lassen. (I will let you go.)
Conditional
Ich würde dich gehen lassen. (I would let you go.)
Lassen vs. Lassen: When They Look Identical
German has a delightful quirk: in the perfect tense, lassen sometimes appears twice—once as the main verb and once as a past participle-like form. This "double lassen" phenomenon is a feature of German, not an error. It reveals the depth of the causative construction.
The Perfect Tense with Infinitive Retention
Normal Perfect
Ich habe ihn gelassen. (I have let him / I have left him.)
The past participle "gelassen" appears normally.
Perfect with Infinitive
Ich habe ihn gehen lassen. (I have let him go.)
With an infinitive object, "lassen" appears in infinitive form at the end, not as "gelassen".
The Double Lassen
Ich habe mir das Auto reparieren lassen. (I have had my car repaired.)
Two lassens: one auxiliary (haben) and one infinitive. This is correct German grammar!
Why This Happens
When lassen takes an infinitive, German grammar treats the infinitive + lassen combination as a single verbal unit. The perfect tense requires an auxiliary (haben) + past participle, but when an infinitive is present, that infinitive stays, creating the "double lassen" effect. This is not redundancy—it's how German marks causation in the perfect tense.
Lassen appears in numerous German idioms and fixed expressions that have meanings beyond the basic verb. These idiomatic uses reveal how deeply lassen is woven into German thought and speech patterns.
Common Idiomatic Expressions
Lass mich in Ruhe!
Leave me alone! / Stop bothering me!
Literally: "Let me in peace" — a standard way to ask for solitude.
Das lässt sich machen.
That can be done. / It's doable.
Expressing possibility or feasibility.
Lass mich raten!
Let me guess!
Requesting permission to make a guess or prediction.
Das lässt sich sehen.
That's quite good. / That's respectable.
Expressing qualified approval or that something is presentable.
Lass dich nicht ablenken!
Don't let yourself be distracted!
Exhortation to maintain focus.
Lassen vs. Other "Letting" Verbs
German has other verbs that can express similar meanings to lassen's "letting" sense. Understanding the distinctions helps you choose the right verb for the exact nuance you want to convey.
Lassen vs. Zulassen vs. Erlauben
Lassen (Most General)
Lass mich gehen. (Let me go.) — Most neutral and natural
Zulassen (More Formal "Allow")
Das kann ich nicht zulassen. (I cannot allow that.) — More formal or official tone
Erlauben (Explicit "Permit")
Darf ich? — Erlauben Sie mir, zu gehen. (May I? — Allow me to go.) — Most formal, often used for official permission
The Distinction
Lassen: casual, natural, flexible. Zulassen: more forceful "allow/admit". Erlauben: explicit official permission. Choose based on context and formality level.
Patterns Discovered in This Chapter
Lassen Has Four Distinct Meanings Depending on Context — Permission: "Lass mich gehen" (Let me go). Causation: "Das lässt mich weinen" (That makes me cry). Commission: "Ich lasse mir die Haare schneiden" (I have my hair cut). Abandonment: "Lass das!" (Stop that!).
Lassen Always Takes an Infinitive, Never a Past Participle — The verb following lassen must stay in its infinitive form: "Ich lasse dich gehen" (I let you go), never "Ich lasse dich gehst". This pattern is consistent across all uses.
Commission Uses Dative Reflexive + Direct Object — "Ich lasse mir die Haare schneiden" literally means "I have for myself the hair cut." The dative reflexive (mir) shows who benefits; the direct object is what's being acted upon.
Lassen Core Concept: Releasing Agency or Responsibility — All four meanings share the idea of the subject releasing control, permission, or responsibility to another entity or force. Understanding this unified concept helps distinguish when to use which meaning.
Bauwerkstatt — Production Workshop
Three Levels of Lassen Exercises
1Wortbaukasten — Word Building Kit
Build: "lasse mir die Haare schneider"
Available words:
Build: "lasse dich öffnen"
Available words:
Build: "lässt seinen Wagen reparieren"
Available words:
Build: "lassen sie kommen"
Available words:
2Lückensatz — Gap Sentence
Fill in: "Ich ____________ mich die Haare schneiden."
Fill in: "Er ____________ seinen Wagen reparieren."
Fill in: "Wir ____________ die Tür offen."
Fill in: "Sie ____________ mich gehen."
3Freies Bauen — Free Building
Translate: "I have my hair cut"
Translate: "He lets his friend come"
Translate: "We have the house painted"
Translate: "They have the car repaired"
Your Progress: 0 / 12 Correct
Lesen & Hören — Read and Listen
Ich lasse mir jeden Monat die Haare von meinem Friseur schneiden.
Er lässt seinen Wagen von dem Mechaniker reparieren.
Sie lässt ihre Kinder im Park spielen und beobachtet sie.
Wir lassen die Tür offen, damit die frische Luft hereinkommt.
Der Chef lässt alle Mitarbeiter das Treffen pünktlich verlassen.
Die Mutter lässt ihre Tochter langsam gehen, weil sie müde ist.