Causative Constructions in Basque

Overview

Causative constructions express the idea of making or causing someone to do something. At the C1 level, the Basque causative suffix -arazi lets you derive causative verbs from any base verb: ikusi (see) becomes ikusarazi (make see / show), jan (eat) becomes janarazi (make eat / feed). This is a productive morphological process that adds an extra argument (the causer) to the verb's agreement pattern.

The causative suffix -arazi increases the valency of the verb by one: an intransitive verb becomes transitive, and a transitive verb gains a dative argument. This means the auxiliary paradigm shifts accordingly, making causatives among the most complex verb forms in Basque.

Understanding causatives is important for describing social interactions, giving instructions, and discussing situations where one person influences another's actions.

How It Works

Forming causatives:

Base verb	Causative	Meaning
ikusi (see)	ikusarazi	make see, show
jan (eat)	janarazi	make eat, feed
egin (do)	eginarazi	make do, cause to do
etorri (come)	etorrarazi	make come, summon
pentsatu (think)	pentsarazi	make think
irakurri (read)	irakurrarazi	make read
ikasi (learn)	ikasarazi	make learn, teach (cause to learn)
lo egin (sleep)	lo eginarazi	put to sleep

Valency changes:

Base	Causative	Agreement change
Intransitive (NOR)	Transitive (NOR-NORK)	Adds ergative causer
Transitive (NOR-NORK)	Ditransitive (NOR-NORI-NORK)	Original agent becomes dative

Example of agreement shift:

Base	Causative
Haurrak jan du. (The child ate.)	Nik haurrari janarazi diot. (I made the child eat / I fed the child.)
Hura etorri da. (He/She came.)	Nik hura etorrarazi dut. (I made him/her come.)

Examples in Context

Basque	English	Note
Haurrei jan arazi diet.	I have made the children eat.	Causative + dative
Irakaslearazi nau.	He/She made me teach.	Causative of intransitive
Ikus arazi didate.	They have shown it to me.	Show = cause to see
Pentsarazi didazu.	You have made me think.	Causative of transitive
Lo eginarazi dut haurra.	I put the child to sleep.	Causative + NOR-NORK
Etorrarazi dut.	I summoned him/her (made come).	Intransitive → transitive
Pozarazi nau zure berriak.	Your news made me happy.	Emotional causative
Irakurrarazi diet.	I made them read.	Educational context
Sinetsarazi dit.	He/She made me believe.	Persuasion
Harritzen nauen gauza da.	It is a thing that amazes me.	Related pattern

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong auxiliary paradigm after causativization

• Wrong: Nik haurrari janarazi dut. (NOR-NORK instead of NOR-NORI-NORK)
• Right: Nik haurrari janarazi diot.
• Why: When a transitive verb is causativized, the original agent becomes dative, requiring the NOR-NORI-NORK paradigm (diot, dizut, etc.).

Incorrect suffix attachment

• Wrong: jaarazi (doubling the vowel)
• Right: janarazi (jan + arazi)
• Why: The causative suffix -arazi attaches to the verb root. Some verbs require a linking element: jan → janarazi, ikusi → ikusarazi.

Confusing causative with imperative

• Wrong: Using causative when you mean a direct command
• Right: Causative = making someone do something; Imperative = telling someone to do something
• Why: Janarazi diot (I made him eat — he may not have wanted to) is different from Jan ezazu! (Eat! — a direct command).

Usage Notes

Causative constructions are more common in written and formal Basque than in casual speech, where speakers often prefer periphrastic alternatives: jan arazi diot (I made him eat) vs. the simpler jan egin dut with context. The suffix -arazi is fully productive — it can be added to virtually any verb. In pedagogical contexts, ikasarazi (make learn) and irakurrarazi (make read) are common. In daily life, ikusarazi (show, make see) and janarazi (feed, make eat) are the most frequently encountered causatives. Some causatives have become lexicalized with slightly shifted meanings.

Practice Tips

1. Take five common verbs and create their causative forms. Then build sentences using the correct agreement paradigm.
2. Practice the valency shift: start with a simple sentence (Haurra lo egin du), then add a causer (Amak haurra lo eginarazi du).
3. Pay attention to which auxiliary paradigm the causative requires: NOR-NORK for causatives of intransitives, NOR-NORI-NORK for causatives of transitives.

Related Concepts

• Trivalent Verb Agreement (NOR-NORI-NORK)