Causative Forms

Causative Suffixes

Causative forms mean 'to make/have someone do something'. Turkish has several causative suffixes:

-dir/-dır/-dur/-dür (i-type harmony)

-tir/-tır/-tur/-tür (after voiceless consonants)

-t (for some vowel-ending verbs)

-r (for some consonants)

git-tir-di

he/she made (someone) go

git + tir + di

yap-tır-dı

he/she had (someone) do

yap + tır + dı

ye-dir-di

he/she fed (made eat)

ye + dir + di

Double Causative

You can add causative twice for 'having someone make someone else do something':

Pattern: Verb + causative + causative + tense

yaz-dır-t-tı

he/she had (X) make (Y) write

yaz + dır + t + tı (double causative)

oku-t-tur-du

he/she had (X) teach (Y)

oku + t + tur + du

Common Causative Verbs

Some causative verbs are very common:

ölmek → öldürmek (to die → to kill)

öğrenmek → öğretmek (to learn → to teach)

kalkmak → kaldırmak (to get up → to lift)

yemek → yedirmek (to eat → to feed)

içmek → içirmek (to drink → to make drink)

Çocuğa süt içirdim

I made the child drink milk

iç + ir + di + m

Türkçe öğretiyorum

I teach Turkish

öğren + t = öğret (causative of learn)

Koltuğu kaldır

Lift the chair

kalk + dır = kaldır

Exercises

causative

Form causative of 'gelmek' (to come)

Answer: getirmek

gel + tir = getir (to bring, make come)

translation

Translate: I fed the cat

Answer: Kediyi besledim

besle (feed, causative of eat) + di + m

fill in-blank

Complete: Çocuğa kitap oku__ (I made the child read a book)

Answer: ttum

oku + t + tu + m = okuttum (causative)