I've noticed that many sentences use "Lassen" to show something is happening. For instance, I've seen the phrase "Sich scheiden lassen" for "To divorce". My question is, what does "Lassen" actually do in this context, and why is it in so many other phrases like past tense, et cetera?
#'Lassen' in its Contexts
storm pawn
frozen holly
I guess my understanding is that lassen is just used a lot to mean to "cause" or "allow" an action.
subtle crystal
I've noticed that many sentences use "Lassen" to show something is happening. Fo...
it is used like this in the context of "getting something done (to you)" but not doing it yourself. In German, if you say "Ich habe mir die Haare geschnitten", it sounds like you held the scissors and cut it. "Ich habe mir die Haare schneiden lassen" = I got my hair cut (by a hairdresser). The same is the case for "sich scheiden lassen". It is a legal proceeding which is technically performed by someone else (Familiengericht).
It appears in past tense often because when it is used like this (and a few other ways), it retains its infinitive form (see examples above with cutting hair) instead of becoming 'gelassen'
Lassen is one of the most multifaceted words in German 😄
storm pawn
ohhh that makes far more sense thank you
storm pawn
https://germanstudiesdepartmenaluser.host.dartmouth.edu/Lassen/Lassen.html
right, so whats the difference between lassen and erlauben, or isnt there one?
frozen holly
right, so whats the difference between lassen and erlauben, or isnt there one?
I think erlauben would be more like, giving authorisation/consent for something to happen. But lassen is more of a passive concept.
storm pawn
ohh alright