German word

lassen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈlasn̩/

Meaning

  • verblet

Example

Ich lasse das Kind spielen.

I let the child play.

Illustration for lassen (let)

More examples

Ich lasse mein Fahrrad in der Werkstatt reparieren.

I have my bicycle repaired at the workshop.

Core concept

A person keeps control of an action while another person carries it out or is not stopped from doing it.

Common phrases

  • etwas reparieren lassen

    have something repaired

  • jemanden gehen lassen

    let someone go

  • etwas stehen lassen

    leave something as it is

Similar words

erlauben: Permit someone to do something.
zulassen: Permit an action or thing to pass or take place.
bitten: Request that someone carry out an action.
zwingen: Force someone to carry out an action.

Definition in German

jemanden etwas tun lassen; bewirken, dass eine andere Person für einen handelt

Word origin

German lassen descends from Old High German lāzan and its older sense of letting go or leaving developed into permission and causing another person to act.

Usage tips

  • In the causative construction, lassen takes a bare infinitive without zu, and the perfect retains that infinitive: Ich habe ihn gehen lassen.

Other meanings

  • allowverb
  • haveverb
  • leaveverb

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word