French conjugation explanation

Causative agreement

<p>When the past participle of <span style="font-style: italic;">faire (fait)</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">laisser (laissé)</span> is followed by an infinitive in a compound verb form (<strong>causative construction</strong>), the past participle doesn't require agreement. Examples (the past participle is green, the infinitive that comes after is brown):</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">C'est la maison que j’ai <span class="green_emphasis">fait</span> <span class="brown_emphasis">construire</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">This is the house I had built.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Beaucoup se sont <span class="green_emphasis">fait</span> <span class="brown_emphasis">massacrer</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Many were slain.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle s'est <span class="green_emphasis">fait</span> <span class="brown_emphasis">faire</span> une superbe coupe de cheveux.</span> (<span style="font-style: italic;">She got a great haircut.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Elle nous a <span class="green_emphasis">laissé</span> <span class="brown_emphasis">continuer</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">She let us continue.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(Since the 1990 French ortography reforms. Before 1990, "laisser" required agreement before an infinitive.)</div>

<p>Compare with:</p>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">La paysanne devenue princesse s’est <span class="green_emphasis">faite</span> au luxe. (<span style="font-style: italic;">The peasant woman who became a princess has embraced luxury.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Je veux tenir les promesses que j'ai <span class="green_emphasis">faites</span>. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I want to keep the promises I made.</span>)</div>

<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">(The direct object (les promesses) precedes the past participle which has to be feminine plural as well.)</div>