The Verb lassen
lassen is one of the most versatile verbs in German because it handles three everyday situations in a single word: allowing someone to do something, having something done for you, and leaving something behind. Learning it at A2 unlocks dozens of natural expressions you will hear every day.
In this lesson you will learn how to conjugate lassen correctly (watch out for the umlaut!), how to combine it with another verb without zu, and how to tell its three meanings apart with clear, real-world examples.
Conjugation in the Present Tense
lassen is a strong verb with a stem-vowel change (a → ä) in the du and er/sie/es forms.
| Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|
| ich | lasse |
| du | lässt |
| er / sie / es | lässt |
| wir | lassen |
| ihr | lasst |
| sie / Sie | lassen |
Key point: du and er/sie/es both use lässt (with umlaut). The form lasst (no umlaut) belongs only to ihr.
Three Main Meanings
1. To let / allow — you permit someone to do something.
Sie lässt die Kinder spielen. → She lets the children play.
2. Causative: to have / get something done — you arrange for someone else to do a task.
Er lässt das Auto reparieren. → He has the car repaired.
3. To leave something somewhere — no second verb needed.
Ich lasse den Schlüssel zu Hause. → I leave the key at home.
| Meaning | Pattern | Quick example |
|---|---|---|
| allow | lassen + person + infinitive | Er lässt mich gehen. |
| causative | lassen + object + infinitive | Sie lässt die Wäsche waschen. |
| leave | lassen + object + location | Wir lassen das Buch hier. |
Word Order and the Perfect Tense
When lassen is used with a second verb (meanings 1 and 2), that second verb goes to the end of the clause as a bare infinitive — never with zu.
✅ Er lässt mich das Dokument drucken. ❌ Er lässt mich das Dokument zu drucken.
In the perfect tense, a double-infinitive construction is used for meanings 1 and 2. The past participle gelassen is only used when lassen stands alone (meaning 3).
| Usage | Perfect construction |
|---|---|
| allow / causative | Er hat mich kommen lassen. |
| leave (meaning 3) | Ich habe den Schlüssel zu Hause gelassen. |
📖 Examples
Lass mich das erklären.
Let me explain that.
Sie lässt die Kinder draußen spielen.
She lets the children play outside.
Er lässt sein Auto in der Werkstatt reparieren.
He has his car repaired at the workshop.
Ich lasse meinen Regenschirm immer im Büro.
I always leave my umbrella at the office.
Meine Eltern lassen mich nicht so lange aufbleiben.
My parents don't let me stay up so late.
Lass uns morgen ins Kino gehen!
Let's go to the cinema tomorrow!
Du lässt das Licht immer an.
You always leave the light on.
Sie hat sich die Haare schneiden lassen.
She had her hair cut.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Er lässt mich zu kommen.Er lässt mich kommen.
After lassen, always use a bare infinitive — no zu. Unlike most verbs that take an infinitive (e.g. versuchen, vergessen), lassen never needs zu before the second verb.
Du lasst das Fenster offen.Du lässt das Fenster offen.
The du-form of lassen requires the umlaut: lässt, not lasst. The form lasst (without umlaut) is only correct for ihr (you all).
Ich verlasse mein Buch auf dem Tisch.Ich lasse mein Buch auf dem Tisch.
verlassen means to leave a person or a place (e.g. Er verlässt die Stadt — He leaves the city). To leave an object somewhere, use lassen.
Er hat das Auto reparieren gelassen.Er hat das Auto reparieren lassen.
In causative and permissive perfect constructions, lassen keeps its infinitive form (lassen), not the past participle (gelassen). This double-infinitive rule also applies to modal verbs like können and müssen.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which form of lassen is correct for the pronoun du?
What is the best English translation of 'Ich lasse das Auto waschen'?
Which sentence uses lassen correctly with a second verb?
What does the everyday phrase 'Lass das!' mean?
Choose the correct perfect-tense sentence for 'He made me wait.'
Which sentence correctly means 'She leaves her bag at home'?
Du ___ das Licht immer an! (lassen)
Meine Mutter ___ mich nicht lange aufbleiben. (lassen)
Wir ___ unsere Koffer im Hotel. (lassen)
Ihr ___ die Tür immer offen! (lassen)