Let literally means "allow." In many cases where this is said, the person saying it isn't blocking/preventing/gatewaying anyone from going. So the literal meaning of "allow" is not intended.

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efdee 9 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

Let literally means a lot of things, one of them being "allow us to". But that is only one of many of its literal meanings.

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ninkendo 43 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Words have more than one meaning.

Let also means "to cause to" as in "let me know", or can be "used in the imperative to introduce a request or proposal", as in "let us pray". (Or "let there be light.")

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/let

The definition you're referring to matches definition 2a, "to give opportunity to or fail to prevent", or definition 4: "to permit to enter, pass, or leave".

"Let's go" absolutely means "let us go". There's no way around it. It's just not the version of "let" that you may be used to, but that doesn't change anything.

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esafak 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

"Let's go" never means "let us go". Just try to articulate it as such! I can't.

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efdee 7 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

"Let us go" does not only mean "you should let us go" but it is also the first person plural imperative implying that we go. Whether you shorten it to "let's go" or not does not change this.

Same as how "let us pray" is frequently used as well.

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toast0 43 minutes ago | parent | prev [-]

Shall we go?

Let us go / Let's go / Let's

If you don't want to use the full form, it shan't stop me.

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esafak 35 minutes ago | parent [-]

I don't know if I'm being clear. Say you and your family were imprisoned. You would never demand to be released by saying "let's go!". Your family might well ask "Where, to the other corner of the cell?"

	▲	efdee 5 minutes ago \| parent [-]
		You can't always replace "let us" with "let's", but you can always replace "let's" with "let us".