The verb let is one of the 200 most common words in English. One reason for that is its use in the very common expression Let's… for making suggestions:
- Let's go out for a meal tonight.
After Let's…, you can use the tag shall we?:
- Let's sit over there, shall we?
To suggest not doing something, you can say Let's not…:
- Let's not talk about politics. It's so depressing.
If you need to think about something because you're not sure or are trying to remember, you can say Let's see or Let me see:
- Now, let me see... What do I need to pack?
Or you can say Let me think:
- What's the capital of Lithuania? - Um, let me think… Is it Vilnius?
Let me go!
The basic meaning of the verb let is to allow someone to do something or allow something to happen. Some parents let their children eat sweets, others don't; at airports, they let people smoke only in certain areas; and Germany let women vote for the first time in 1919 (nine years before Britain, which didn't let women over the age of 21 vote until 1928).
As these examples show, the present and past forms of let are the same (it's an irregular verb).
In cases where let could be followed by come or go, you can often leave these verbs out:
- I've forgotten my keys. Could you let me in? (= Could you let me come in?)
Let me help you
You can say Let me… when you offer to do something for someone:
- Sit down and let me get you a drink. What would you like?
- Let me help you with that suitcase.
A common phrase is Let me know (= Tell me.):
- Just let me know if you need any help. I'll be in the next room.