hacerte
“hacerte” means “to do for you / to make for you” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to do for you / to make for you
📝 In Action
Voy a hacerte un café.
A2I'm going to make you a coffee.
Necesito hacerte una pregunta importante.
A2I need to ask you an important question.
¿Puedo hacerte un favor?
B1Can I do you a favor?
to make you (feel/become)
📝 In Action
Esa película va a hacerte llorar.
B1That movie is going to make you cry.
Tu sonrisa puede hacerte famoso.
B2Your smile could make you famous.
Solo quiero hacerte feliz.
A2I just want to make you happy.
to pretend to be / to play the...
📝 In Action
No intentes hacerte la víctima.
B2Don't try to play the victim.
A veces es mejor hacerte el tonto para evitar problemas.
B2Sometimes it's better to play dumb to avoid problems.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: hacerte
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence means 'I want to make you happy'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
`Hacerte` comes from the combination of two Latin words. `Hacer` is from the Latin verb *facere*, meaning 'to do' or 'to make'. The ending `te` comes from the Latin word *te*, which was the pronoun for 'you'. Spanish simply combined them into one word for convenience.
First recorded: This combined form has existed for centuries, evolving alongside the Spanish language itself from Vulgar Latin.
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'te' at the end of 'hacerte' but at the beginning of 'te hago'?
Great question! In Spanish, you attach the little pronoun words like 'te' to the end of verbs that are in their original '-ar, -er, -ir' form (infinitives). But when you change the verb to say WHO is doing the action (like 'hago' - I do), the pronoun moves to the front.
Is 'hacerte' formal or informal?
It's informal. The `te` part is how you say 'you' to a friend, family member, or someone your age (the 'tú' form). For a formal situation, you would use `se` and say `hacerse` (for 'usted') or `hacerle`.
Can I use 'hacerte' by itself?
Not usually. Because it's the infinitive form, it almost always follows another verb that is already set up for a person. For example: `Voy a hacerte...` (I am going to make you...), `Puedo hacerte...` (I can make you...), `Quiero hacerte...` (I want to make you...).