_Laten_ is the Dutch verb for letting something happen. With an infinitive (the dictionary form of a verb, like _slapen_), it means let or allow (_Laat hem maar slapen_) or have something done by someone else (_Ik laat mijn fiets repareren_). It also appears in two everyday expressions: _laten we_ for let's, and _laat maar_ for never mind.
The pattern
_Laten_ plus an infinitive without _te_ usually says that someone or something else does the action: you allow it, or you arrange it.
- Let or allow: _Laat hem maar slapen._ The person who acts usually gets the object form: _hem_, not _hij_. The word _maar_ makes it sound relaxed (more in [softening particles](#/lesson/softening-particles)).
- Have something done: _Ik laat mijn fiets repareren._ Who does the job usually stays unsaid.
- Let's: _Laten we gaan._ First _laten_, then _we_, and the infinitive at the end.
- Never mind: _Laat maar._ or _Laat maar zitten._
- Forms: _ik laat, jij laat, hij laat_ (no extra _t_, because _laat_ already ends in one), _wij laten_; past _liet, lieten_.
- Perfect tense (the _heb ... gedaan_ form): _Ik heb mijn jas thuis gelaten_ (I left my coat at home), but with a second verb you use _laten_: _Ik heb mijn fiets laten repareren_ (more in [verb clusters](#/lesson/verb-clusters)).
Examples
| Laat hem maar slapen, hij heeft de hele nacht gewerkt. | Let him sleep, he worked all night. |
|---|---|
| Mijn ouders lieten me nooit alleen naar school fietsen. | My parents never let me cycle to school on my own. |
| Ik laat mijn fiets repareren, want de remmen doen het niet meer. | I'm having my bike repaired, because the brakes don't work anymore. |
| Joris laat elke zes weken zijn haar knippen. | Joris has his hair cut every six weeks. |
| Fatima en Carlos hebben een nieuwe keuken laten plaatsen. | Fatima and Carlos have had a new kitchen installed. |
| Wil je Priya even laten weten dat de vergadering niet doorgaat? | Could you let Priya know that the meeting is cancelled? |
| Laten we de trein van half negen nemen. | Let's take the 8:30 train. |
| Laten we het niet aan Emma vertellen, het is een verrassing voor haar verjaardag. | Let's not tell Emma, it's a surprise for her birthday. |
| Ik wilde je nog iets vragen, maar laat maar, ik zoek het zelf wel op. | I wanted to ask you something, but never mind, I'll look it up myself. |
Why it works this way
English spreads this job over several verbs: let, have, get, and sometimes make. Dutch uses _laten_ for all of them, because the core idea is the same: you let an action happen, and usually someone or something else carries it out.
- _Ik schilder de woonkamer._ You hold the brush.
- _Ik laat de woonkamer schilderen._ A painter holds the brush, and you make the coffee.
- _Ik heb mijn fiets gerepareerd._ You fixed it.
- _Ik heb mijn fiets laten repareren._ The bike shop fixed it.
With a person after _laten_, context decides between let and make: _Mijn ouders lieten me lang opblijven_ (they let me stay up late), _De docent liet ons de tekst twee keer lezen_ (the teacher made us read it twice).
The same idea hides in _laten zien_ (let see: show), _laten vallen_ (let fall: drop) and _laten liggen_ (let lie: leave behind). In combinations like these, English uses one verb for something you do yourself: _Bas liet zijn sleutels vallen_ (Bas dropped his keys). With a reflexive pronoun such as _zich_, the subject can even be the one who falls: _Na het werk liet Sanne zich op de bank vallen_ (Sanne dropped onto the sofa). The passive, which also keeps the doer out of sight, comes in [Worden: become, and the passive](#/lesson/worden).
Remember: with _laten_ plus an infinitive, you usually hand the action over: you arrange it (_Ik laat mijn fiets repareren_) or you allow it (_Laat hem maar slapen_). In fixed combinations such as _laten vallen_ and _laten zien_, English simply has one verb: drop, show.
Watch out
- Not: _Ik laat mijn fiets gerepareerd._ Say: _Ik laat mijn fiets repareren._ (Dutch uses the infinitive where English uses repaired)
- Not: _Ik laat mijn auto te wassen._ Say: _Ik laat mijn auto wassen._ (_laten_ is followed by an infinitive without _te_)
- Not: _Ik heb mijn haar gelaten knippen._ Say: _Ik heb mijn haar laten knippen._ (with a second verb, the perfect uses _laten_)
- Not: _We hebben de keuken schilderen laten._ Say: _We hebben de keuken laten schilderen._ (_laten_ comes before the other infinitive, the reverse of the German order)
- Not: _Laat we morgen beginnen._ Say: _Laten we morgen beginnen._ (the verb takes the form that goes with _we_)
Quick check
- Fill in the correct form of _laten_: _Mijn fiets is kapot, dus ik ... hem morgen bij de fietsenmaker repareren._
- Ahmed says: _Ik laat mijn auto wassen._ Who washes the car: Ahmed or someone else?
- Choose: _Het regent en we zijn allemaal moe. (Laat / Laten) we een taxi nemen._
- Fix the sentence and keep the perfect tense: _Mei heeft haar laptop gelaten repareren._
Answers
- _laat_ (the _ik_ form in the present tense)
- Someone else (_laten_ plus an infinitive means Ahmed has it done, for example at a car wash)
- _Laten_ (with _we_ the verb is _laten_)
- _Mei heeft haar laptop laten repareren._ (with a second verb, the perfect uses _laten_, not _gelaten_)
Use it today
This week, tell a colleague or neighbour about something you are having done, using _laten_: _Ik laat zaterdag mijn fiets repareren._ And next time you lose track of what you wanted to say, just smile and say _Laat maar_.