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Why is the causative translated in these sentences like that?

Ways to learn grammar innately?How to properly utilize the causative “have” in French?Grammatical analysis of “les pronoms personnels sujets”What construction is being used to ask the question “Que lisent les enfants?” ?In these sentences, why is it necessary to refer to the same person twice?Why are there (seemingly) unnecessary “à”s and “de”s in these sentences?Causative faire with a verb that takes à?(ne .. aucune .. que) Can “ne” be paired with “que” here? Can “ne” be paired with multiple words?Past participle agreement with the subject in the case of pronominal verbsWhy is the past conditionel used here?

5

1

This is from a book called Practice Makes Perfect Complete French Grammar from page 117 and here's its link : (https://archive.org/details/practice-makes-perfect-complete-french-grammar/page/n33)

I wonder why J'ai fait tremper les pruneaux is translated as I soaked the prunes and not as sth like : I'm having the prunes soaked, I'm causing the prunes to be soaked or I'm getting the prunes soaked instead, and the same of course applies for the other sentences. Is it just a mistake or do I miss sth about the causative in French?
I checked an advanced resource : (https://www.thoughtco.com/french-causative-le-causatif-1368818) but still found nothing though.

grammaire constructions-causatives

share|improve this question

edited Jun 9 at 7:37

jlliagre

71.3k450117

asked Jun 8 at 23:50

ManarManar

1038

add a comment | 

5

1

This is from a book called Practice Makes Perfect Complete French Grammar from page 117 and here's its link : (https://archive.org/details/practice-makes-perfect-complete-french-grammar/page/n33)

I wonder why J'ai fait tremper les pruneaux is translated as I soaked the prunes and not as sth like : I'm having the prunes soaked, I'm causing the prunes to be soaked or I'm getting the prunes soaked instead, and the same of course applies for the other sentences. Is it just a mistake or do I miss sth about the causative in French?
I checked an advanced resource : (https://www.thoughtco.com/french-causative-le-causatif-1368818) but still found nothing though.

grammaire constructions-causatives

share|improve this question

edited Jun 9 at 7:37

jlliagre

71.3k450117

asked Jun 8 at 23:50

ManarManar

1038

add a comment | 

This is from a book called Practice Makes Perfect Complete French Grammar from page 117 and here's its link : (https://archive.org/details/practice-makes-perfect-complete-french-grammar/page/n33)

I wonder why J'ai fait tremper les pruneaux is translated as I soaked the prunes and not as sth like : I'm having the prunes soaked, I'm causing the prunes to be soaked or I'm getting the prunes soaked instead, and the same of course applies for the other sentences. Is it just a mistake or do I miss sth about the causative in French?
I checked an advanced resource : (https://www.thoughtco.com/french-causative-le-causatif-1368818) but still found nothing though.

grammaire constructions-causatives

share|improve this question

edited Jun 9 at 7:37

jlliagre

71.3k450117

asked Jun 8 at 23:50

ManarManar

1038

share|improve this question

edited Jun 9 at 7:37

jlliagre

71.3k450117

asked Jun 8 at 23:50

ManarManar

1038

share|improve this question

edited Jun 9 at 7:37

jlliagre

71.3k450117

asked Jun 8 at 23:50

ManarManar

1038

edited Jun 9 at 7:37

jlliagre

71.3k450117

edited Jun 9 at 7:37

jlliagre

71.3k450117

asked Jun 8 at 23:50

ManarManar

1038

asked Jun 8 at 23:50

ManarManar

1038

1 Answer
1

active

oldest

votes

6

J'ai fait tremper les pruneaux. doesn't mean you had someone doing it for you but that you had something doing it for you:

I put the prunes into water for them to be soaked.

Similarly, j'ai fait griller le pain means:

I put the bread in a toaster which toasted the bread.

The most natural translation of these sentences seems to be:

I soaked the prunes

I toasted the bread

Unless it would have been done by someone else, I don't think it would be idiomatic English to say:

I had the bread toasted (by the toaster).

I had the chicken roasted (by the oven).

while in French, it is usual.

We are probably less likely to say the following sentences, but they are fine too:

J'ai rôti le poulet.

J'ai grillé le pain.

Moreover, your suggestions do not match the French sentences tense. Both

I'm having the prunes soaked

I'm getting the prunes soaked

are taking place in the (continuous) present while "j'ai fait something" happened in the past and is done now.

share|improve this answer

edited Jun 9 at 7:39

answered Jun 9 at 1:13

jlliagrejlliagre

71.3k450117

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I also understood that it was because the natural use of the verb is intransitive -- the something you're causing to griller is the bread itself. What do you think?
  
  – Luke Sawczak
  Jun 9 at 2:55
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Luke A good reason too indeed. With purely intransitive verbs, that's the only option: j'ai fait disparaître le lapin and not j'ai disparu le lapin ;-)
  
  – jlliagre
  Jun 9 at 7:34
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

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6

J'ai fait tremper les pruneaux. doesn't mean you had someone doing it for you but that you had something doing it for you:

I put the prunes into water for them to be soaked.

Similarly, j'ai fait griller le pain means:

I put the bread in a toaster which toasted the bread.

The most natural translation of these sentences seems to be:

I soaked the prunes

I toasted the bread

Unless it would have been done by someone else, I don't think it would be idiomatic English to say:

I had the bread toasted (by the toaster).

I had the chicken roasted (by the oven).

while in French, it is usual.

We are probably less likely to say the following sentences, but they are fine too:

J'ai rôti le poulet.

J'ai grillé le pain.

Moreover, your suggestions do not match the French sentences tense. Both

I'm having the prunes soaked

I'm getting the prunes soaked

are taking place in the (continuous) present while "j'ai fait something" happened in the past and is done now.

share|improve this answer

edited Jun 9 at 7:39

answered Jun 9 at 1:13

jlliagrejlliagre

71.3k450117

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I also understood that it was because the natural use of the verb is intransitive -- the something you're causing to griller is the bread itself. What do you think?
  
  – Luke Sawczak
  Jun 9 at 2:55
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Luke A good reason too indeed. With purely intransitive verbs, that's the only option: j'ai fait disparaître le lapin and not j'ai disparu le lapin ;-)
  
  – jlliagre
  Jun 9 at 7:34
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

6

J'ai fait tremper les pruneaux. doesn't mean you had someone doing it for you but that you had something doing it for you:

I put the prunes into water for them to be soaked.

Similarly, j'ai fait griller le pain means:

I put the bread in a toaster which toasted the bread.

The most natural translation of these sentences seems to be:

I soaked the prunes

I toasted the bread

Unless it would have been done by someone else, I don't think it would be idiomatic English to say:

I had the bread toasted (by the toaster).

I had the chicken roasted (by the oven).

while in French, it is usual.

We are probably less likely to say the following sentences, but they are fine too:

J'ai rôti le poulet.

J'ai grillé le pain.

Moreover, your suggestions do not match the French sentences tense. Both

I'm having the prunes soaked

I'm getting the prunes soaked

are taking place in the (continuous) present while "j'ai fait something" happened in the past and is done now.

share|improve this answer

edited Jun 9 at 7:39

answered Jun 9 at 1:13

jlliagrejlliagre

71.3k450117

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  I also understood that it was because the natural use of the verb is intransitive -- the something you're causing to griller is the bread itself. What do you think?
  
  – Luke Sawczak
  Jun 9 at 2:55
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  
  @Luke A good reason too indeed. With purely intransitive verbs, that's the only option: j'ai fait disparaître le lapin and not j'ai disparu le lapin ;-)
  
  – jlliagre
  Jun 9 at 7:34
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

J'ai fait tremper les pruneaux. doesn't mean you had someone doing it for you but that you had something doing it for you:

I put the prunes into water for them to be soaked.

Similarly, j'ai fait griller le pain means:

I put the bread in a toaster which toasted the bread.

The most natural translation of these sentences seems to be:

I soaked the prunes

I toasted the bread

Unless it would have been done by someone else, I don't think it would be idiomatic English to say:

I had the bread toasted (by the toaster).

I had the chicken roasted (by the oven).

while in French, it is usual.

We are probably less likely to say the following sentences, but they are fine too:

J'ai rôti le poulet.

J'ai grillé le pain.

Moreover, your suggestions do not match the French sentences tense. Both

I'm having the prunes soaked

I'm getting the prunes soaked

are taking place in the (continuous) present while "j'ai fait something" happened in the past and is done now.

share|improve this answer

edited Jun 9 at 7:39

answered Jun 9 at 1:13

jlliagrejlliagre

71.3k450117

share|improve this answer

edited Jun 9 at 7:39

answered Jun 9 at 1:13

jlliagrejlliagre

71.3k450117

answered Jun 9 at 1:13

jlliagrejlliagre

71.3k450117

answered Jun 9 at 1:13

jlliagrejlliagre

71.3k450117