let
let
Permission, cooling soup, and letting go share one hand
The picture The hand that was blocking the way lifts, and things go where they were already headed. Make pushes from behind to get it done; let takes the blocking hand away and lets it go.
Where the picture shows up in let
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move your hand out of my way
Let me check the schedule.
let miː tʃek ðə ˈskedʒuːl
Give me a second to check the schedule.
The hand in front of me steps aside just long enough for me to reach the schedule.
Not an order — a request not to be blocked.
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the hand stays in the way
My mom will not let me go out.
maɪ mɑːm wɪl nɑːt let miː ɡoʊ aʊt
My mom will not allow me out.
The hand stays flat against the door and nobody gets out.
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leave it and it happens by itself
Let the soup cool for a minute.
let ðə suːp kuːl fɔːr ə ˈmɪnɪt
Give the soup a minute to cool.
Nobody touches the pot, and the steam dies down on its own.
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let the news reach me
Can you let me know by Friday?
kən juː let miː noʊ baɪ ˈfraɪdeɪ
Could you tell me by Friday?
The road that news travels to me is left open until Friday.
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the gripping hand opens
Do not let go of the rope.
duː nɑːt let ɡoʊ əv ðə roʊp
Keep hold of the rope.
The fingers around the rope open and the rope slides away.
All of it in one picture
Let is the hand coming out of the way. Move the hand and I can check the schedule; keep the hand there and I am not going out; touch nothing at all and the soup cools by itself; leave the road open and the news reaches me by Friday; open the fingers and the rope is gone. Every one of these is the same move — not pushing something to happen, just stopping blocking it.