Je me laisse fatiguer par cette typographie pâle.
I let myself get tired out by this pale typography.
Breakdown of Je me laisse fatiguer par cette typographie pâle.
je
I
ce
this (before a noun)
par
by, through / out of (motive)
se
himself, herself, themselves (reflexive)
fatiguer
to tire
laisser
to let (allow to happen)
la typographie
the typography
pâle
pale
Questions & Answers about Je me laisse fatiguer par cette typographie pâle.
Why is the active verb fatiguer used here instead of a passive construction like être fatigué?
In French, the construction se laisser (to let oneself) is always followed directly by an active infinitive, even when the English translation feels passive ('get tired out'). You don't need être here; the infinitive fatiguer handles the action happening to you.
Does the preposition par work just like 'by' in an English passive sentence here?
Yes. Even though the verb fatiguer is in the active infinitive, the se laisser + infinitive structure creates a passive meaning ('getting tired out by'). Therefore, par is used to introduce the agent causing the action (cette typographie pâle), exactly as it would in a standard passive voice sentence.
Why is the pronoun me placed before laisse and not before fatiguer?
Here, se laisser operates as a reflexive verb meaning 'to let oneself'. The reflexive pronoun me belongs to the conjugated verb laisse, indicating who is allowing the action to happen. If you placed an object pronoun before fatiguer, you would be changing the structure entirely.
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