---
title: "Laten: let, and having something done"
level: B1
chapter: "Verbs in time"
canonical: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/laten
updated: 2026-10-09
author: Dutch Fluency
license: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
---

# Laten: let, and having something done

_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).
- **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](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/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](https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar/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

1. Fill in the correct form of _laten_: _Mijn fiets is kapot, dus ik ... hem morgen bij de fietsenmaker repareren._
2. Ahmed says: _Ik laat mijn auto wassen._ Who washes the car: Ahmed or someone else?
3. Choose: _Het regent en we zijn allemaal moe. (Laat / Laten) we een taxi nemen._
4. Fix the sentence and keep the perfect tense: _Mei heeft haar laptop gelaten repareren._

## Answers

1. _laat_ (the _ik_ form in the present tense)
2. Someone else (_laten_ plus an infinitive means Ahmed has it done, for example at a car wash)
3. _Laten_ (with _we_ the verb is _laten_)
4. _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_.

## Questions learners ask

**What does laten mean in Dutch?**

Laten mainly means let or allow ("Laat hem maar slapen") or have something done by someone else ("Ik laat mijn fiets repareren"). It also appears in "laten we" (let's) and "laat maar" (never mind).

**How do you say "I had my bike repaired" in Dutch?**

Say "Ik heb mijn fiets laten repareren", with laten plus the infinitive at the end. With a second verb, the perfect tense uses laten, not gelaten, and there is no te.

**What does "laat maar" mean in Dutch?**

"Laat maar" means never mind or forget it, for example when you decide that what you wanted to say is not important. You will also hear "laat maar zitten" with the same meaning.

From the Dutch Fluency Grammar: https://www.dutchfluency.com/grammar. Shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.