laisser at B1 — laisser + infinitive = to let
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Put an infinitive after it and the verb means “to let”.
Letting people do things
Laisser + infinitive means to let, to allow: « laisse-moi faire » — let me do it. « Ils m’ont laissé partir » — they let me go. This is one of the highest-frequency structures in spoken French and learners consistently under-use it.
Note the word order with pronouns: the person being allowed comes before laisser, not before the infinitive. « Je le laisse parler », not « je laisse le parler ».
💡 Focus at this level: laisser + infinitive = to allow
👨🏫 How to use « laisser » at this level
1. « Laisse-moi… » is everyday French. Learn it as a block.
2. Pronoun before « laisser ». « Je le laisse dormir. »
3. Compare with « permettre ». Laisser is passive allowing; permettre is granting permission.
🎮 Practise « laisser »
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