The Verb lassen
Master the versatile verb lassen: leaving things behind, having work done by someone else, letting people do things, and the suggestion formula lass uns.
One verb, many jobs
lassen is one of the busiest verbs in German, and no single English word covers it. Depending on the sentence it means to leave something somewhere, to have something done, to let someone do something, or — in the form lass uns — to make a suggestion. The forms are irregular but familiar in shape: ich lasse, du lässt, er lässt; Praeteritum ließ; participle gelassen.
The first meaning is the simplest: leaving something behind, on purpose or by accident. Here lassen behaves like any ordinary verb with an accusative object and takes gelassen in the Perfekt: Ich habe meine Tasche im Zug gelassen.
All the other meanings share one structural trick — lassen combines with a second verb in the infinitive, which waits at the end of the clause. That pattern carries the rest of this lesson.
Ich habe meine Tasche im Zug gelassen.
I left my bag on the train.
Lassen Sie den Schlüssel bitte an der Rezeption.
Please leave the key at the reception desk.
Er ließ die Fenster offen und ging nach Hause.
He left the windows open and went home.
Praeteritum: ließ — a strong form you met in the simple past lessons.
Having something done: etwas machen lassen
You do not repair your own car, cut your own hair or translate your own certificates — you have these things done. German expresses this with lassen plus an infinitive: Ich lasse mein Auto reparieren, literally I let my car be repaired. The person who actually does the work often stays unnamed; if needed, add them with von or bei: Ich lasse meine Haare beim Friseur schneiden.
Word order follows the familiar frame: lassen takes the second position, the infinitive goes to the end. In the Perfekt something special happens — instead of the participle gelassen, German uses a double infinitive: Ich habe mein Auto reparieren lassen. Two infinitives stand together at the end, with lassen last.
This construction is essential for life with German bureaucracy, where documents are constantly being translated, certified and renewed — always with lassen.
Ich lasse mein Auto in der Werkstatt reparieren.
I am having my car repaired at the garage.
Wir lassen die Wohnung vor dem Umzug renovieren.
We are having the flat renovated before the move.
Sie hat sich gestern die Haare schneiden lassen.
She had her hair cut yesterday.
Perfekt with a double infinitive: schneiden lassen instead of a participle.
Wo kann ich meine Zeugnisse übersetzen und beglaubigen lassen?
Where can I have my certificates translated and certified?
Letting people do things
The same structure — lassen plus infinitive — also means to allow: jemanden etwas tun lassen. The person who is allowed stands in the accusative: Der Chef lässt uns freitags früher gehen. Meine Eltern ließen mich nie allein reisen.
The imperative of this meaning is extremely common in conversation: Lass mich das machen — let me do that; Lassen Sie mich bitte ausreden — please let me finish speaking. The second one is worth memorising word for word; it is the polite way to hold your ground in a discussion or at an office counter.
Context decides which reading you get. Ich lasse ihn das Auto waschen can mean I am having him wash the car or I am letting him wash the car — in real life the situation makes it obvious, so do not let the ambiguity worry you.
Der Chef lässt uns freitags früher nach Hause gehen.
The boss lets us go home earlier on Fridays.
Meine Eltern ließen mich früher nie allein in den Urlaub fahren.
In the past my parents never let me go on holiday alone.
Lassen Sie mich bitte ausreden.
Please let me finish speaking.
A fixed polite formula for discussions and appointments.
Lass mich dir mit den Formularen helfen.
Let me help you with the forms.
Lass uns and other fixed patterns
For suggestions among friends, German uses lass uns plus infinitive: Lass uns am Wochenende einen Ausflug machen — let us go on a day trip at the weekend. With several people it is lasst uns, and in formal settings lassen Sie uns. This is the everyday equivalent of English let us or shall we.
A few combinations have become fixed vocabulary. sich scheiden lassen means to get divorced — literally to have oneself divorced, because a court does it. You will meet it in official and biographical contexts.
Finally, a recognition note: sentences like Das lässt sich machen or Das Problem lässt sich lösen use lassen with sich to say that something can be done. You do not need to build this pattern yet — but when an official says Das lässt sich regeln, you should hear it as good news: it can be sorted out.
Lass uns am Wochenende einen Ausflug an den See machen.
Let us go on a day trip to the lake at the weekend.
Nach zehn Jahren Ehe haben sie sich scheiden lassen.
After ten years of marriage they got divorced.
sich scheiden lassen is a fixed expression — and another double infinitive in the Perfekt.
Kein Problem, das lässt sich bestimmt regeln.
No problem, that can certainly be sorted out.
lassen + sich + infinitive means something can be done — recognise it, you do not need to produce it yet.
Check yourself
Quick checks on this lesson. Get at least three quarters right to mark it as completed.
What does the sentence Ich lasse meinen Anzug reinigen. mean?
Practise what you learned