让 / 叫 / 请 / 使 (make / let / ask someone do)

Getting someone else to do it

• Often the subject doesn't act — they make someone else act.
• "Mom makes me practise", "the teacher asks us to write".
• Chinese builds this with a pivot verb: to let / make让ràng / variant of 叫叫jiào / to ask请qǐng / to make使shǐ.

Subj + to let / make让ràng / variant of 叫叫jiào / to ask请qǐng / to make使shǐ + Person + Predicate

• The person sits in the middle — they receive the order and do the next verb.

mom妈妈mā malet让ràngme我wǒlearn学xuépiano钢琴gāng qín。

• mama妈妈mā mā让我学ràng wǒ xuépiano钢琴gāng qín = "Mom makes / lets me learn piano."

Pick the right pivot

• to let / make让ràng = let / make (neutral) · variant of 叫叫jiào = tell (direct) · to ask请qǐng = invite / ask politely · to make使shǐ = cause (formal, feelings).

please请qǐnghim他tācome in进来jìn lái。

• to ask请qǐnghe / him他tāto come in进来jìn lái = "ask him to come in" (polite).

Recap

Read the full reference: HSK 3 grammar — Verbs.