Breakdown of Nous le leur faisons certifier.
nous
we / us (object pronoun)
faire
to do, to make
le
him, it (masculine direct object pronoun)
leur
to them (indirect object)
Questions & Answers about Nous le leur faisons certifier.
Why do both le and leur go before faisons instead of right before certifier?
In the causative faire structure (faire + infinitive), object pronouns always go before the conjugated verb (faire), not the infinitive. Even though the pronouns logically relate to the action of certifying, grammar rules dictate they step in front of faisons.
Why do we use the indirect object leur for "them" instead of the direct object les?
This is a strict rule of the causative faire construction. When the infinitive verb (certifier) takes a direct object (here, le, meaning 'it'), the person performing the action is forced to become an indirect object. That is why 'them' translates to the indirect pronoun leur. If the infinitive had no direct object, you would use the direct pronoun les instead, as in Nous les faisons travailler (We make them work).
What dictates the order of le before leur in this sentence?
If the thing being certified was feminine, like la lettre, how would the sentence change?