Who actually does the work?
Je répare ma voiture means: I fix it myself. Je fais réparer ma voiture means: I take it to the garage. A faire in front of the infinitive moves the action to someone else. This is the causatif. English covers it with have, get and make: I have my car repaired, she made me laugh.
Doing it yourself or having it done
Je répare ma voiture.
I am fixing my car.
Je fais réparer ma voiture.
I am having my car repaired.
Word order
In English the object sits between have or make and the verb: I had the car repaired, she made the children laugh. In French it goes after the infinitive. Copy the English order and the sentence is wrong.
The English reflex and the French order
Nous faisons refaire la cuisine au printemps.
We are having the kitchen redone in the spring.
Désolé, je t'ai fait attendre trop longtemps.
Sorry, I kept you waiting too long.
Elle a fait venir un médecin.
She had a doctor come.
Naming the performer - par or à
If you want to name who does the work, add them at the end. When the infinitive has no object of its own, the person becomes the direct object, with no preposition. When it has one, the person is introduced with par or à. English always treats the person as a plain object: I have the students read a text.
Je fais travailler les élèves.
I make the students work.
Le professeur fait lire un texte aux élèves.
The teacher has the students read a text.
Je fais réparer la voiture par le garagiste.
I am having the car repaired by the mechanic.
Placing the pronouns
When the object becomes a pronoun, it goes before the conjugated faire, never before the infinitive. English keeps it after the first verb: I have it repaired.
From noun to pronoun
Je la fais réparer demain.
I am having it repaired tomorrow.
Cette chanson me fait pleurer à chaque fois.
This song makes me cry every time.
Ce texte, je le leur fais lire en classe.
This text, I have them read in class.
If there is an object besides the person, the person becomes an indirect pronoun (lui, leur), and both stand together before faire. In the affirmative imperative the pronouns attach to faire: Fais-moi rire ! Faites-le entrer, s'il vous plaît.
fait never agrees
In compound tenses the past participle fait never agrees when an infinitive follows – not even with a direct object in front of it.
No extra -s, no extra -e
Les photos ? Je les ai fait développer hier.
The photos? I had them developed yesterday.
Mes parents m'ont fait apprendre le piano.
My parents made me learn the piano.
se faire + infinitive
When something is to be done to you, use the reflexive se faire: English I am having my hair cut, I got my hair cut.
Je me fais couper les cheveux tous les deux mois.
I get my hair cut every two months.
Elle s'est fait expliquer les règles deux fois.
She had the rules explained to her twice.
En anglais, il se fait comprendre sans problème.
In English, he makes himself understood without trouble.
Reflexive means: être in the passé composé, and fait stays unchanged, even with a feminine subject: Elle s'est fait opérer, not elle s'est faite opérer. Without a reflexive pronoun, faire takes avoir: J'ai fait réparer la voiture.
faire or laisser?
English has make, have and let. French sorts them into two: faire means to cause (make, have), laisser means to allow (let), that is, not to prevent.
Causing versus allowing
faire - you bring it about
It would not happen without you. You give the push or the order.
Elle nous a fait entrer dans le salon.
She showed us into the living room.
Sa blague m'a fait rire.
His joke made me laugh.
laisser - you allow it
It would happen anyway; you just do not stop anyone.
J'ai laissé entrer le chat.
I let the cat in.
Laisse parler ton frère.
Let your brother speak.
Set expressions
let someone know
Fais-moi savoir si tu viens. – Let me know if you are coming.
point out
Elle m'a fait remarquer une erreur. – She pointed out a mistake to me.
drop
J'ai fait tomber mon téléphone. – I dropped my phone.
show
Fais-moi voir ta photo. – Show me your photo.
