让 + Object + Verb/Adjective
Reach for 让 when one thing CAUSES or LETS another thing do something or feel something — 'X makes / lets Y do (or feel) Z.' The subject pushes the cause, 让 introduces who or what gets affected, and the verb or adjective says the result. Daily-use causative: 'this movie made me cry,' 'mom let me go,' 'the news made people nervous.'
Structure
[SUBJECT] 让 [OBJECT] [VERB / ADJ]
ràng [OBJECT] [VERB / ADJ]
How to Think About It
让 hands the action off. The subject is the trigger; the object is the one who actually does the action or holds the feeling. Two flavors live inside the same word: 'make' (causes the result) and 'let' (permits it). Context decides which — '老板让我加班' (the boss made me work late OR let me work late, usually 'made' here). The verb/adjective slot describes what happens TO/IN the object, not what the subject does.
Examples
这首歌让我很开心。
Zhè shǒu gē ràng wǒ hěn kāixīn.
This song makes me really happy.
妈妈让我去买面包。
Māma ràng wǒ qù mǎi miànbāo.
Mom told me to go buy bread.
这件事让大家很紧张。
Zhè jiàn shì ràng dàjiā hěn jǐnzhāng.
This matter made everyone really tense.
Common Mistake
Learners put the object on the wrong side, treating 让 like a sandwich filler. The object always sits BETWEEN 让 and the verb. Also, learners use 让 with action verbs where 使 or 把 would be cleaner — 让 is best when there's a human or living object reacting.
这个电影让哭了我。
这个电影让我哭了。
Don't Confuse With
使 + Object + Verb/Adjective
More formal, written-register cousin. 使 prefers abstract subjects in essays ('使人感动'). 让 is everyday speech.
把 + Object + Verb
把 = active spotlight: subject does something TO the object. 让 = subject CAUSES the object to do something. '我把他叫起来' (I called him up) vs. '我让他起来' (I told/let him get up).
叫 + Object + Verb
Often interchangeable with 让 but leans 'order / tell to do.' '妈妈叫我回家' = mom told me to go home. 让 sounds slightly softer and broader.
Practice
老师 ___ 我们写一篇文章。
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让
这个消息让他很 ___。
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高兴
Put in order: [让 / 妈妈 / 早点 / 我 / 回家]
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妈妈让我早点回家。
Translate to Chinese: 'This movie made me cry.'
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这部电影让我哭了。
Write one sentence about something that made you feel a certain way, using 让.
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Example answer: 这本书让我对中国历史很感兴趣。 (This book got me really interested in Chinese history.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 让 + Object + Verb/Adjective in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
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