hacerte
/ah-SEHR-teh/
to do for you / to make for you
Hacerte can mean "to make for you," like when a child creates a gift for their parent.
hacerte(Verb)
to do for you / to make for you
?When performing an action or creating something for someone.
📝 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?
💡 Grammar Points
Two Words in One
Hacerte is a combination of the verb hacer (to do/make) and the pronoun te (you). It's a shortcut that attaches 'you' directly to the action.
Where to Put 'te'
When hacer is in its basic -er form (the infinitive), te sticks to the end. When hacer is changed for a person (like hago, haces, hace), te goes before it: Te hago un café.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting to Attach
Mistake: "Quiero hacer te una pregunta."
Correction: Quiero hacerte una pregunta. When `hacer` is in its infinitive form (ending in -er), the `te` must be attached directly to it.
⭐ Usage Tips
Chain It with Other Verbs
Hacerte is perfect to use after verbs like querer (to want), poder (to be able to), or ir a (going to). For example: Quiero hacerte feliz (I want to make you happy).
When something is done to hacerte (make you) feel happy.
hacerte(Verb)
to make you (feel/become)
?When causing a change in someone's state or emotion.
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
Causing a Reaction
This use of hacerte is all about causing a change in someone. The pattern is often hacerte + another action (like llorar) or hacerte + a description (like famoso).
⭐ Usage Tips
Expressing Influence
Use this when you want to talk about how one thing affects another person. For example, 'La música me hace sentir tranquilo' (Music makes me feel calm). For 'you', it becomes 'La música puede hacerte sentir tranquilo'.
Hacerte can mean "to pretend to be," like playing a role.
hacerte(Verb)
to pretend to be / to play the...
?When someone is feigning an emotion or state.
📝 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.
💡 Grammar Points
A Special Meaning of 'hacerse'
This meaning comes from the verb hacerse. When you see hacerte el... or hacerte la... followed by a noun or adjective, it usually means 'to pretend to be...' or 'to act like...'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Omitting 'el' or 'la'
Mistake: "No te hagas víctima."
Correction: No te hagas la víctima. This structure almost always needs 'el' or 'la' before the thing you're pretending to be.
🔄 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
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...).