Italiano — Causative fare

Fare + infinitive means having someone else do the action: Faccio riparare l'auto — "I have the car repaired". Clitics normally attach to fare, and reflexive fare lets you do it for yourself: me la faccio fare.

How it works

✓ Rule

Fare is conjugated and the second verb stays in the infinitive: Faccio riparare l'auto. Object clitics go before the conjugated fare (La faccio riparare), but attach to fare when it is an infinitive, gerund or affirmative imperative (Falla riparare!). The real doer is introduced by a: Faccio scrivere la lettera a Marco.

Forms and clitic placement

Causative fare: structure, example and use
Structure	Example	Use
fare + infinito	Faccio riparare l'auto.	Basic causative: someone else does the action for you.
clitico + fare coniugato	La faccio riparare.	Object clitic goes before the conjugated fare.
imperativo + clitico	Falla riparare!	With the affirmative imperative the clitic attaches to fare.
farsi (riflessivo) + clitico	Me la faccio fare.	Reflexive fare: you have it done for yourself.
fare + infinito + a (agente)	Faccio scrivere la lettera a Marco.	The person who does it is marked by a.
passato: avere + fatto + infinito	L'ho fatta riparare.	In compound tenses fatto is invariable, but agrees with a preceding direct-object clitic.

Good to know

⚠ Note

Common mistake: don't attach the clitic to the infinitive. Say La faccio riparare, not Faccio ripararla. The clitic only rides on fare when fare itself is an infinitive: me la faccio fare.