How to use 让、叫、请、使
Subj. + 让 / 叫 / 请 / 使 + Person + Predicate
A causative sentence connects one participant with an action or state involving another. Put the causative verb after the first subject, then name the affected person and describe what that person does or experiences. The final predicate can be an action or a descriptive phrase. Context determines whether the cause is a request, permission, or an external influence.
让 is especially common in conversation and can express either allowing or causing something. 叫 can tell someone to act or describe a caused reaction. 请 gives a request a polite or inviting character. 使 is common in formal descriptions of causes and effects. These words overlap, but their tone and typical situations differ.
Examples with pinyin and English
你为什么不让我去？
Why won't you let me go?
这部电影让人很感动。
This movie really moves people.
那个老人让我想到了我爷爷。
That old man made me think of my grandpa.
他不听话，你叫我怎么办？
He won't listen. What would you have me do?
我想请你帮我一个忙。
I want to ask you to do me a favor.
他的演讲使听众们非常激动。
His speech made the audience very excited.
What to remember
- Name the affected person before their predicate.
- 让 can express permission or causation.
- 使 tends toward formal descriptions.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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