Quick answer: Sich lassen is a reflexive construction in German that means “can be done” or “is possible.” It’s built from the reflexive pronoun sich + the verb lassen (conjugated) + a second verb in the infinitive. For example, “Das Problem lässt sich lösen” means “The problem can be solved.” It’s one of the most common ways Germans express possibility without using a full passive sentence.
In our previous guides, we explored the many meanings of “lassen” and its technical structure. Now let’s zoom in on one specific, very common version of this verb that you’ll see in almost every German textbook and newspaper: sich lassen.
1. What Does “Lassen” Mean in English?
Before tackling the reflexive form, it helps to know what the base verb means. Lassen is an irregular (strong) verb with three main English translations, depending on context:
- to let / to allow — Lass mich in Ruhe. (Let me be.)
- to leave — Ich lasse die Tür offen. (I’m leaving the door open.)
- to have something done (causative) — Ich lasse mein Auto reparieren. (I’m having my car repaired.)
Its three principal parts (Stammformen) are: lassen – ließ – gelassen. That’s the answer if you’ve been searching for “lassen 3 Formen” or “lassen definition.”
2. What Does “Sich Lassen” Mean?
When you add the reflexive pronoun sich, the meaning shifts specifically toward possibility: something “lets itself” be done, i.e., it can be done.
- Passive with modal verb: “Das Problem kann gelöst werden.” (The problem can be solved.)
- With “sich lassen”: “Das Problem lässt sich lösen.” (The problem lets itself be solved / is solvable.)
Both sentences mean roughly the same thing, but sich lassen is shorter and sounds far more natural in spoken and written German — it’s the version you’ll actually hear from native speakers.
3. The Formula for “Sich Lassen”
The structure is simple once you see the pattern:
Subject + sich/mich/dich… + lassen (conjugated) + Infinitive (at the end)
| Part | Role | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | What “lets itself” be done | Das Problem |
| Reflexive pronoun | Matches the subject | sich |
| Conjugated lassen | Position 2 | lässt |
| Infinitive | End of the clause | lösen |
Put together: Das Problem lässt sich lösen.
4. Conjugation of “Lassen” (Präsens, Präteritum, Perfekt)
Because lassen is irregular, its present-tense forms change vowel in the du and er/sie/es forms:
| Person | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | lasse | ließ |
| du | lässt | ließt / ließest |
| er/sie/es | lässt | ließ |
| wir | lassen | ließen |
| ihr | lasst | ließt |
| sie/Sie | lassen | ließen |
Perfekt tense has an important twist. When lassen is used alone, the Partizip II is gelassen (Ich habe es so gelassen — I left it as it was). But when lassen is combined with another infinitive — which is exactly how sich lassen usually works — German uses a double infinitive instead of the participle:
- Ich habe das Auto reparieren lassen ✅ (I had the car repaired.)
Ich habe das Auto reparieren gelassen❌
So: gelassen only appears when lassen stands on its own; with a second infinitive, you use lassen twice at the end of the sentence.
5. “Sich Lassen” vs. “Lassen Sich” — Does Word Order Matter?
You’ll see both sich lassen and lassen sich depending on where the verb falls in the sentence — this isn’t two different structures, just normal German word order (verb in Position 2).
- Main clause: Die Tür lässt sich nicht öffnen. (verb in position 2, pronoun right after)
- Subordinate clause: …, weil die Tür sich nicht öffnen lässt. (verb pushed to the end)
If you’ve searched “lassen sich meaning” or “wie lassen sich” — it’s the same construction as sich lassen, just with the pieces reordered because of the sentence type. The meaning (“can be done”) doesn’t change.
6. Common Examples in Daily Life
You’ll often hear this construction when something is easy, difficult, or impossible to do:
| German Sentence | English Translation | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Das lässt sich machen. | That can be done. | That lets itself do. |
| Das lässt sich nicht ändern. | That can’t be changed. | That doesn’t let itself change. |
| Die Tür lässt sich nicht öffnen. | The door won’t open. | The door doesn’t let itself open. |
| Das lässt sich leicht erklären. | That is easy to explain. | That lets itself explain easily. |
| Der Termin lässt sich verschieben. | The appointment can be rescheduled. | The appointment lets itself be moved. |
7. Using It With Other People (Not Just “Sich”)
While sich is the most common form (because we usually talk about objects, situations, or “it”), the reflexive pronoun changes with the subject, so you can use this structure with any person:
- “Ich lasse mich nicht so leicht überzeugen.” — I don’t let myself get convinced that easily. (I’m not easily persuaded.)
- “Du lässt dich nicht provozieren.” — You don’t let yourself get provoked.
- “Wir lassen uns von Kritik nicht entmutigen.” — We don’t let ourselves get discouraged by criticism.
Note the small shift in meaning here: with people, sich lassen leans more toward “to allow oneself to be [verb]ed” rather than pure possibility — but the grammar formula is identical.
8. Common Idioms with “Lassen”
Lassen shows up in several fixed expressions that are worth learning as vocabulary on their own:
- im Stich lassen — to leave someone in the lurch / abandon someone. Er hat seine Freunde im Stich gelassen. (He left his friends in the lurch.)
- fallen lassen — to drop something (literally or an idea/plan). Lass das Thema einfach fallen. (Just drop the subject.)
- sausen lassen (colloquial) — to skip or forgo something. Ich lasse den Ausflug sausen. (I’ll skip the trip.)
- so lassen — to leave something as it is. Lass es einfach so. (Just leave it as it is.)
- zulassen (one word, separable verb) — to permit, allow, or officially register (e.g., a car). Das lässt sich nicht zulassen. (That can’t be permitted.) — Not to be confused with lassen … zu (two separate words), which means to leave something closed/shut: Lass die Tür zu! (Leave the door shut!)
9. Why Should You Use “Sich Lassen”?
- It’s efficient — fewer words than a full passive sentence.
- It’s authentically German — it makes you sound like a native speaker rather than a textbook.
- It’s precise — it focuses entirely on the possibility of an action, without needing können.
FAQ
What does “sich lassen” mean in German? It means “can be done” or “is possible.” It’s a reflexive alternative to the passive voice with können (e.g., lässt sich lösen = “can be solved”).
Is “lassen sich” the same as “sich lassen”? Yes — the meaning is identical. The word order simply changes depending on whether lassen is in a main clause (Position 2, e.g., lässt sich) or pushed to the end of a subordinate clause (e.g., sich … lassen).
What are the 3 forms (Stammformen) of “lassen”? lassen – ließ – gelassen (infinitive – Präteritum – Partizip II).
What does “im Stich lassen” mean? To leave someone in the lurch or abandon them when they need help.
Is “gelassen” always the past participle of “lassen”? Only when lassen is used alone. When combined with another infinitive (as in most sich lassen sentences), German uses a double infinitive in the Perfekt tense instead: hat … lassen, not hat … gelassen.
Final Thoughts
The next time you want to say something is possible, try using lässt sich instead of kann … werden. It might feel strange at first to say “the problem lets itself solve,” but in the German mind, it makes perfect sense — and it’s exactly how native speakers talk.
Next step: Now that you’ve mastered this reflexive structure, why not brush up on your basic pronouns? Check out our guide on Personalpronomen in German to make sure you’re using mich, dich, and sich correctly.
