Making or Letting: The Verb Láta
To express making, letting, or having someone do something, use the verb láta. This covers both giving permission and arranging a service.
Form this causative structure with láta conjugated for the subject, followed by the person performing the action in the accusative case, and the action in the infinitive:
- láta
- [accusative object] + [infinitive verb]
| I let the hairdresser cut the hair. | Ég læt hárgreiðslumanninn klippa hárið. |
Hárgreiðslumanninn is in the accusative case as the object of láta, while klippa (to cut) remains in the infinitive.
| She goes to the hair salon and lets the hairdresser dye the hair. | Hún fer á hárgreiðslustofuna og lætur hárgreiðslumanninn lita hárið. |
The rule applies no matter who is performing the action:
| Since the hair salon is closed, I let dad cut me. | Þar sem hárgreiðslustofan er lokuð, læt ég pabba klippa mig. |
Personal Care Services
This structure is frequently used for personal care and pampering (dekra við), whether you are visiting the barber (rakarinn), a masseur (nuddarinn), or a beautician (snyrtifræðingurinn).
| Do you have the barber dye the beard black? | Lætur þú rakarann lita skeggið svart? |
| The man lets the masseur massage the back. | Maðurinn lætur nuddarann nudda bakið. |
| The woman lets the beautician paint the nails. | Konan lætur snyrtifræðinginn mála neglurnar. |
Pampering and Pronouns
You can easily chain multiple infinitives together. Personal pronouns like mig (me) or okkur (us) are also frequently used in the accusative, either as the person made to do something or as the target of the action.
| I am tired and let the masseur pamper me. | Ég er þreyttur og læt nuddarann dekra við mig. |
| We always let the beautician pamper us and fix the nails. | Við látum snyrtifræðinginn alltaf dekra við okkur og laga neglurnar. |
| The girlfriend lets me massage the back because she is tired. | Kærastan lætur mig nudda bakið af því að hún er þreytt. |