Let's: How to Suggest Doing Something Together

Let's + base verb

Let's (with apostrophe) vs. lets (no apostrophe)

"Let's" (with an apostrophe) means "let us" and is used to suggest something together: "Let's go." "Lets" (no apostrophe) is the third-person conjugation of "let": "He lets me borrow his car." They're two completely different words that only get confused because of the apostrophe.

The negative: let's not

To suggest NOT doing something together, use "let's not" + base verb: "Let's not go there." "Let's not tell her yet."

Common mistakes with let's

Writing "lets" with no apostrophe when meaning "let's" (let us). Remembering that "let's" literally means "let us" helps you keep the apostrophe and remember that it always includes the speaker.

Let's vs. Shall we? vs. Why don't we?

How to respond when someone says "let's..."

If you agree, you don't need to repeat "let's": a simple "Sure!", "Sounds good." or "OK, let's do it." works fine. If you don't want to, just saying "no" sounds blunt in English; soften it with a reason or an alternative: "Let's not, I'm really tired." or "Maybe later, I need to finish this first."

More examples of "let's" in context

• Let's grab lunch before the meeting.
• Let's split the bill.
• It's getting late, let's head home.
• Let's give it one more try.

Let's in a real conversation

A: "What do you want to do tonight?" B: "Let's just stay in and watch something." A: "Sounds good. Let's order pizza too." Notice how either person can start their own "let's": it's not only the person who opens the conversation who gets to suggest plans.

Another common mistake: saying "let's us"

"Let us" spelled out: the formal version

Almost no one says "let us" in full when speaking casually, but it does show up uncontracted in speeches, ceremonies, or formal writing: "Let us begin." "Let us pray." In everyday conversation, saying "let us" instead of "let's" sounds odd and overly solemn, as if you were giving a speech instead of suggesting a movie night. You will mostly run into this uncontracted form in writing, movies set in a formal context, or historical speeches, so recognizing it matters more for reading and listening than for speaking yourself.

Let's versus let me

"Let's" is a suggestion that includes you and the listener: "Let's order pizza." "Let me" asks for permission to do something yourself: "Let me help you with that." The two are easy to mix up because they sound alike, but their meanings are different. With let's, both of you act. With let me, only I act, and I offer or ask to do it.

Let's in texts and invitations

In messages and emails, "let's" is one of the friendliest ways to propose a plan: "Let's catch up this weekend." "Let's meet at 6." It sounds warm, direct, and natural, and the listener can easily answer with "Sounds good" or "I can't, but let's do Sunday." For formal situations, "shall we" or "would you like to" sounds more polite.

Short messages with let's

• Let's grab lunch tomorrow.
• Let's not worry about it.
• Let's try that new cafe.
• Let's start the meeting.
• Let's go home, it's late.

Frequently asked questions