Causative Verbs — Hindi Grammar

Causative verbs describe situations where the subject does not perform the action themselves, but causes someone else to do it. In Hindi, almost any verb can be transformed into a causative verb.

There are generally two types of causative forms derived from the base verb:

First Causative: You make someone do something, or you do it to them (Direct causation).
Second Causative: You get someone else to do the action for you (Indirect causation).

First Causative: Direct Action

The first causative is formed by adding the suffix -ā to the verb root. This changes the meaning from "doing" to "causing to do" or "helping to do".

For example, (paṛhnāparhna) means "to read". By adding -ā, it becomes (paṛhānāparhana), which means "to make read" or, more commonly, "to teach".

मैं किताब पढ़ता हूँ।
maiṃ kitāb paṛhtā hūṃ.maiṃ kitab parhta huṃ.
I read the book.
मैं छात्र को पढ़ाता हूँ।
maiṃ chātr ko paṛhātā hūṃ.maiṃ chhatr ko parhata huṃ.
I teach the student.

Common transformations:

(calnāchalna) - to walk/move → (calānāchalana) - to drive/operate
(uṭhnāuṭhna) - to get up → (uṭhānāuṭhana) - to lift/wake someone
(karnākarna) - to do → (karānākarana) - to make someone do

Second Causative: Indirect Action

The second causative is formed by adding the suffix -vā to the verb root. This implies that the subject is not involved in the action directly but is instructing or paying a third party to perform it.

Using the previous example of "to read", (paṛhnāparhna), the second causative is (paṛhvānāparhwana), meaning "to get someone to read" or "to cause to be read".

राज घर बनाता है।
rāj ghar banātā hai.raj ghar banata hai.
Raj builds a house. (He does the work).
राज घर बनवाता है।
rāj ghar banvātā hai.raj ghar banwata hai.
Raj gets a house built. (He hires workers).

Vowel Shortening

When adding causative suffixes, the long vowel in the first syllable of the verb root often becomes short.

ā becomes a: (jāgnājagna) - to wake up → (jagānājagana) - to wake someone.
ī/e becomes i: (sīkhnāsikhna) - to learn → (sikhānāsikhana) - to teach.
ū/o becomes u: (ghūmnāghumna) - to wander → (ghumānāghumana) - to show around.

बच्चा सोता है।
baccā sotā hai.bachcha sota hai.
The child sleeps.
माँ बच्चे को सुलाती है।
māṃ bacce ko sulātī hai.maṃ bachche ko sulati hai.
The mother puts the child to sleep.

Irregular Forms with -l-

Verbs that end in a vowel (like (khānākhana), (pīnāpina), (denādena)) insert the letter l before the causative suffix. The root vowel also shortens.

(khānākhana) - to eat → (khilānākhilana) - to feed.
(pīnāpina) - to drink → (pilānāpilana) - to give a drink.
(denādena) - to give → (dilānādilana) - to cause to be given.

वह पानी पीता है।
vah pānī pītā hai.wah pani pita hai.
He drinks water.
मैं उसे पानी पिलाता हूँ।
maiṃ use pānī pilātā hūṃ.maiṃ use pani pilata huṃ.
I give him water to drink.

Sentence Structure with 'Se'

When using causative verbs, the person who is actually performing the action (the agent) is often marked with the postposition (se). This is especially common with the second causative.

मैं राहुल से पत्र लिखवाता हूँ।
maiṃ rāhul se patr likhvātā hūṃ.maiṃ rahul se patr likhwata huṃ.
I get Rahul to write a letter.
पिता जी मैकेनिक से कार ठीक करवाते हैं।
pitā jī maikenik se kār ṭhīk karvāte haiṃ.pita ji maikenik se kar ṭhik karwate haiṃ.
Father gets the mechanic to fix the car.

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Hindi course

11 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 36. A few of them, with the words “Causative Verbs” is about in bold:

जब तक मैं नई कार नहीं लेता, मुझे अपनी बाइक चलानी होगी।
jab tak ma͠i naī kār nahī̃ letā, mujhe apnī bāik calānī hogī.jab tak main nai kar nahin leta, mujhe apni baik chalani hogi.
I have to ride my bike until I get a new car.
Lesson 301

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