English

Alternative forms

• let us (dated)

Verb

let's

1. Used to form the hortative of verbs, equivalent of the first-person plural imperative in some other languages.

   Let’s eat lunch sometime.

   Let’s dance.

Usage notes

Let’s is always inclusive, which refers to both the speaker and the addressee, while let us is commonly exclusive, which refers only to the speaker.

• Let’s go, we are late. - inclusive we
• Release us and let us go! - exclusive we

Negation of let's is let's not in standard English.

• Let’s not talk about it.

Don't is also used, but it is often considered non-standard.

• Let’s don’t talk about it. (US)
• Don’t let’s talk about it. (British)

Tag questions with let's typically take shall we?.

• Let's go to the beach, shall we?

Derived terms

Translations

References

• let, don’t let’s, let’s, let’s don’t, let’s not, The Columbia Guide to Standard American English, Kenneth G. Wilson, 1993.
• American English and British English, Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language, Tom McArthur, 1998.

Anagrams

• ELTs, lest, TESL