Breakdown of De man laat de hond het commando gehoorzamen.
de man
the man
de hond
the dog
laten
to let (laten we ... = let's ...)
het commando
the command
gehoorzamen
to obey
Questions & Answers about De man laat de hond het commando gehoorzamen.
Why is laat used here instead of doet, if the English translation says 'makes'?
In Dutch, laten is used when you delegate an action or command someone (or an animal) to do something. The dog is actively performing the action of obeying. Doen is strictly reserved for involuntary physical or emotional reactions, like making someone laugh or cry (Dat doet me lachen).
Since laten often means 'to let' or 'to allow', how do we know it means 'makes' in this sentence?
The verb laten is versatile and covers 'to let/allow' as well as 'to make/have someone do something'. The exact meaning comes from context. Because an animal typically needs to be commanded or compelled to obey, 'makes' or 'has' is the most natural translation here, rather than 'allows'.
Why is there no te before the infinitive gehoorzamen?
Causative verbs like laten and doen act like modal verbs in that they always take a bare infinitive. This means the action being performed (gehoorzamen) gets placed at the end of the clause without a te in front of it.
There are two nouns side-by-side (de hond and het commando). How do we know which one is the subject of gehoorzamen?
When laten is paired with a transitive verb (a verb that takes an object, like gehoorzamen), the performer of the action is placed first (de hond), followed immediately by the object of that action (het commando). This strict word order is how Dutch clarifies who is doing what to whom.
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