hacerle
“hacerle” means “to do (something) to him/her/it/you (formal)” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to do (something) to him/her/it/you (formal), to cause/inflict (on him/her/it/you formal)
Also: to make (him/her/it/you feel or react)
📝 In Action
No quiero hacerle daño.
A2I don't want to hurt him/her/you (formal). (Literally: I don't want to do harm to him/her.)
La película le hizo llorar.
B1The movie made him/her cry. (Note: The conjugated verb is 'hizo,' with 'le' placed before it.)
Tuvimos que hacerle una advertencia.
B1We had to give him/her a warning.
to make/prepare (for him/her/it/you formal)
Also: to fix (a meal for him/her)
📝 In Action
Necesito hacerle la cena a mi jefe.
B1I need to make dinner for my boss (you formal).
¿Puedes hacerle un favor?
A2Can you do him/her a favor?
Si lo haces bien, prometo hacerle un descuento.
B2If you do it well, I promise to give him/her a discount.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: hacerle
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'hacerle' in its command form?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
This word is a combination of the highly irregular Latin verb *facere* (meaning 'to do' or 'to make'), which became *hacer* in Spanish, combined with the indirect object pronoun *le*, derived from the Latin dative pronoun *illi* ('to him/her'). The form 'hacerle' itself arose from the standard Spanish grammatical rule of attaching object pronouns to non-finite verb forms.
First recorded: Forms of *hacer* appear in early Spanish texts dating back to the 10th century. The standard use of attached 'le' to the infinitive is common from the late Medieval period onwards.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
When does 'hacerle' become 'hacerlo' or 'hacerla'?
It changes based on the grammatical role of the person or thing you are talking about. Use 'hacerlo' (to make him/it) or 'hacerla' (to make her/it) when the person/thing is the direct object (the thing being made). Use 'hacerle' when the person is the indirect object (the one receiving the result of the action).
Is 'hacerle' always one word?
Yes, when it is attached to the infinitive form, it must be written as a single word. However, in most conjugated tenses (like present or past), the pronoun 'le' separates and moves before the conjugated verb: 'Le hice un favor.' (I did him a favor).