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How to Say "they cause" in Spanish

English → Spanish

hacen

/AH-sen//ˈa.sen/

verbB1general
Use 'hacen' when 'they cause' refers to actively producing an effect or making something happen, similar to 'they make' or 'they do'.
Two large brown onions placed on a wooden cutting board next to a person whose eyes are tearing up dramatically, showing a cause and effect.

Examples

Sus chistes siempre me hacen reír.

Their jokes always make me laugh.

Las películas tristes hacen llorar a mi hermana.

Sad movies make my sister cry.

Las cebollas te hacen llorar.

Onions make you cry.

Sentence Structure: 'Make someone do something'

The pattern is: [The cause] + hacen + [the other verb in its base form]. For example, 'Los chistes (cause) hacen reír (base form)'.

traen

/tra-en//ˈtɾa.en/

verbB1general
Use 'traen' when 'they cause' implies being the source or origin of a problem, situation, or consequence, like 'they bring about' or 'they result in'.
Two children at the top of a green hill watching a large red ball they just pushed roll down towards a stack of wooden blocks, causing them to fall over.

Examples

Estos cambios traen mucha confusión a los empleados.

These changes cause a lot of confusion for the employees.

Las nuevas regulaciones traen consigo serios desafíos.

The new regulations bring serious challenges with them (implying 'result in').

Figurative Use

In this sense, 'traen' acts like 'causan' or 'producen'. It describes an abstract result rather than a physical movement.

Hacen vs. Traen for 'they cause'

Learners often confuse 'hacen' and 'traen' by using 'hacen' for situations where something is the source of a problem. Remember, 'hacen' is more about directly making something happen, while 'traen' is about being the origin of a consequence or situation.

Related Translations

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