Causative Constructions in Persian

In Brief

Persian can show that someone causes an action or result with a causative verb in -اندن (-āndan), such as خواباندن “to put to sleep,” or with a multiword construction such as باعث شدن که “to cause” and وادار کردن به “to make/compel.” The person or thing affected is often marked with را, while a following clause with که gives Persian more room to show whether the meaning is “make,” “let,” “persuade,” or simply “cause.”

Overview

A causative describes a situation in which one participant brings about another action or state. Compare بچه خوابید “the child slept” with مادر بچه را خواباند “the mother put the child to sleep.” In the second sentence, the mother does not sleep; she causes the child to sleep. The new participant—the mother—is the causer, and the child is the causee (the person or thing made to act or change).

English often uses a separate verb such as “make,” “have,” “get,” or “let.” Persian divides this territory differently. Some common verbs have a single-word causative ending in -اندن; others use a compound verb (a noun, adjective, or other element plus a light verb such as کردن); and more complex meanings are usually expressed with a clause introduced by که “that.” Choosing among them is partly grammatical and partly lexical: not every Persian verb freely forms a natural causative in -اندن.

At B2, the central skill is not merely recognising the suffix. You need to control the changed sentence structure, select a natural construction, and distinguish direct physical causation from persuasion, permission, obligation, and indirect consequences.

How It Works

1. Single-word causatives with -اندن

A number of Persian verbs form a causative infinitive with -اندن (-āndan). The practical pattern is:

non-causative event → causative verb → causer + causee/result + causative verb

Base verb	Romanization	Causative verb	Meaning of the causative
خوابیدن	khābidan	خواباندن (khābāndan)	to put to sleep; lay down
خندیدن	khandidan	خنداندن (khandāndan)	to make someone laugh; amuse
رسیدن	residan	رساندن (resāndan)	to make reach; deliver; convey
فهمیدن	fahmidan	فهماندن (fahmāndan)	to make understand; get across
ترسیدن	tarsidan	ترساندن (tarsāndan)	to frighten; scare
چرخیدن	charkhidan	چرخاندن (charkhāndan)	to turn; rotate something
نشستن	neshastan	نشاندن (neshāndan)	to seat; set; plant

This is derivation: a suffix creates a new verb with a related meaning. It is not a tense ending. Once formed, the causative verb conjugates like another Persian verb. For example, خواباندن has the past stem خواباند- and present stem خوابان-:

Form	Romanization	Meaning	Note
خواباندم	khābāndam	I put [someone] to sleep	simple past
می‌خوابانم	mi-khābānam	I put/am putting [someone] to sleep	present/imperfective
خوابانده‌ام	khābānde-am	I have put [someone] to sleep	perfect
بخوابان	bekhābān	put [someone] to sleep	singular imperative

The spelling of the infinitive has د in -اندن, but many present forms do not: می‌خوابانم, not می‌خواباندم for “I put/am putting to sleep.” Learn the past and present stems with the verb.

Do not treat -اندن as completely productive. Forms such as رساندن, ترساندن, and خواباندن are established vocabulary. When you meet a new pair, learn both its form and its actual meaning; the causative may develop senses more specific than a literal “make X do Y.” For example, رساندن commonly means “deliver,” “take someone somewhere,” or “convey a message.”

2. The change in sentence roles

With an intransitive base verb—one that normally has no direct object—the original subject becomes the affected object of the causative. A direct object is the person or thing directly affected by the verb.

• بچه خوابید. — The child slept.
• مادر بچه را خواباند. — The mother put the child to sleep.

The causee بچه is specific here, so it takes را (rā), Persian’s marker for a definite or specific direct object. Pronouns appear in their object form before را: من را / مرا, تو را, او را, and so on.

• او خندید. — He/She laughed.
• آن حرف او را خنداند. — That remark made him/her laugh.

Persian also frequently attaches an unstressed object pronoun to the verb or another suitable word, especially in speech: خنداندش “made him/her laugh.” For a learner, an explicit noun or او را is often easier to parse and less ambiguous.

3. Lexical and compound causatives

Persian often uses an entirely different verb or a compound verb rather than building a new form with -اندن. A compound verb is a conventional combination whose verbal part is usually a common “light” verb such as کردن “do/make” or شدن “become.”

Non-causative	Romanization	Causative counterpart	Typical meaning
باز شدن	bāz shodan	باز کردن (bāz kardan)	open/be opened → open something
گرم شدن	garm shodan	گرم کردن (garm kardan)	become warm → heat something
آماده شدن	āmāde shodan	آماده کردن (āmāde kardan)	become ready → prepare something
یاد گرفتن	yād gereftan	یاد دادن (yād dādan)	learn → teach
مردن	mordan	کشتن (koshtan)	die → kill

The alternation شدن / کردن is especially important: شدن presents a change of state, while کردن presents someone as causing that change. Thus هوا سرد شد means “the weather became cold,” but کولر اتاق را سرد کرد means “the air conditioner made the room cold.” This is causative meaning without the suffix -اندن.

Because compound verbs are lexical units, changing only the light verb does not always produce a valid pair. Learn common combinations as whole expressions, building on your knowledge of advanced compound verbs.

4. Causation with a که clause

A clause is a group of words with its own verb. When the caused event needs its own subject, tense, or detail, Persian commonly uses که:

• باعث شد که جلسه دیر شروع شود. — It caused the meeting to start late.
• کاری کردم که او حقیقت را بفهمد. — I did something that made him/her understand the truth.

After باعث شدن که, کاری کردن که, and similar expressions, the dependent verb often appears in the subjunctive—a verb form used for an intended, possible, required, or dependent action—especially when the result is viewed as brought about rather than simply reported: شود، بفهمد، برود. The exact tense and mood depend on meaning and register; a factual result may also be reported with an ordinary indicative form.

Several common constructions make the relationship more precise:

Construction	Romanization	Core meaning	Typical pattern
باعث شدن که	bā'es shodan ke	cause; lead to	X باعث شد که Y happen
باعثِ چیزی شدن	bā'es-e chizi shodan	cause a noun/result	X باعثِ تأخیر شد
وادار کردن به	vādār kardan be	make/compel	someone را وادار کرد به action
مجبور کردن به	majbur kardan be	force/oblige	someone را مجبور کرد به action
کاری کردن که	kāri kardan ke	do something so that; cause	کاری کرد که Y happen
گذاشتن + clause	gozāshtan	let; allow	گذاشت Y do something

With وادار کردن and مجبور کردن, Persian can use a verbal noun after به, such as به عذرخواهی “to apologising/an apology,” or a که clause: او را مجبور کرد که عذرخواهی کند “made/forced him/her to apologise.” These usually imply pressure, unlike a neutral causative such as خنداندن.

5. “Make,” “have,” and “let” do not map word for word

English uses flexible causative patterns such as “make someone do,” “have something repaired,” and “let someone leave.” Persian normally chooses a verb that states the intended relationship:

• direct result: بچه را خواباند — put the child to sleep
• pressure: او را وادار کرد برود — made/compelled him/her to leave
• permission: گذاشت برود — let him/her leave
• arranging a service: داد ماشین را تعمیر کنند — had the car repaired (literally, “gave/arranged that they repair the car”)

Consequently, translating English “make” mechanically as کردن is unreliable. First decide whether the sentence expresses direct causation, coercion, permission, persuasion, or an arranged service.

Examples in Context

Persian	Romanization	English	Note
بچه را خواباندم.	Bache rā khābāndam.	I put the child to sleep.	A single-word causative from خوابیدن
غذا را رساندم.	Ghazā rā resāndam.	I delivered the food.	Literally caused it to reach its destination
او مرا خنداند.	U marā khandānd.	He/She made me laugh.	مرا is the compact written form of من را
معلم شاگردان را فهماند.	Mo'allem shāgerdān rā fahmānd.	The teacher made the students understand.	فهماندن means to make clear or get across
صدای ناگهانی بچه‌ها را ترساند.	Sedā-ye nāgahāni bache-hā rā tarsānd.	The sudden noise frightened the children.	The sound is the causer
لطفاً صندلی را بچرخانید.	Lotfan sandali rā becharkhānid.	Please turn the chair around.	Polite plural imperative
مهمان‌ها را کنار پنجره نشاندیم.	Mehmān-hā rā kenār-e panjere neshāndim.	We seated the guests beside the window.	Causative counterpart of نشستن
چای را دوباره گرم کردم.	Chāy rā dobare garm kardam.	I heated the tea again.	کردن causes a change of state
این خبر همه را ناراحت کرد.	In khabar hame rā nārāhat kard.	This news upset everyone.	Adjective + کردن
باران شدید باعث شد که پرواز لغو شود.	Bārān-e shadid bā'es shod ke parvāz laghv shavad.	The heavy rain caused the flight to be cancelled.	Formal, neutral cause-and-result wording
او را وادار کردند که حقیقت را بگوید.	U rā vādār kardand ke haghighat rā beguyad.	They made him/her tell the truth.	Pressure or compulsion
مدیر ما را مجبور کرد اضافه‌کاری کنیم.	Modir mā rā majbur kard ezāfe-kāri konim.	The manager forced us to work overtime.	Stronger and more negative than neutral causation
گذاشتم بچه‌ها کمی بیشتر بازی کنند.	Gozāshtam bache-hā kami bishtar bāzi konand.	I let the children play a little longer.	Permission, not coercion
کاری کرد که همه احساس آرامش کنند.	Kāri kard ke hame ehsās-e ārāmesh konand.	He/She made everyone feel at ease.	Literally “did something so that...”
دادم گوشی را تعمیر کنند.	Dādam gushi rā ta'mir konand.	I had the phone repaired.	Colloquial way to arrange a service

Common Mistakes

Adding -اندن to every verb

• Wrong strategy: Inventing a new -اندن form whenever English uses “make.”
• Right: Use an established causative such as خواباندن, or choose باعث شدن که, وادار کردن, or a recognised compound verb.
• Why: The pattern is productive only to a limited degree in present-day Persian. A theoretically understandable form may still sound unusual or have a lexical meaning you did not intend.

Forgetting را with a specific causee

• Wrong: مادر بچه خواباند.
• Right: مادر بچه را خواباند.
• Why: The specific child is the direct object—the person affected by the mother’s action—so it normally takes را.

Leaving the base verb unchanged

• Wrong: مادر بچه را خوابید.
• Right: مادر بچه را خواباند.
• Why: خوابیدن means that the subject sleeps. Once the mother is the subject and the child is the affected object, the causative verb is required.

Translating English “make” as کردن by itself

• Wrong: او من را کرد بخندم.
• Right: او مرا خنداند. or کاری کرد که بخندم.
• Why: Persian does not generally copy the English pattern “make + object + bare verb.” Use a lexical causative or a complete Persian construction.

Confusing causation with permission

• Wrong meaning: او را وادار کردم برود when you mean “I let him/her leave.”
• Right: گذاشتم برود.
• Why: وادار کردن implies pressure; گذاشتن expresses allowing or not preventing an action.

Using the infinitive after که

• Wrong: باعث شد که پرواز لغو شدن.
• Right: باعث شد که پرواز لغو شود.
• Why: A که clause has a conjugated verb agreeing with its own subject. Here شود is third-person singular and subjunctive.

Usage Notes

Single-word causatives are often the most concise and natural choice when a common established verb exists. They are especially frequent for physical changes and familiar results: خواباندن, نشاندن, چرخاندن, ترساندن, and رساندن. Some are so lexicalised that English translation may not visibly contain “cause”: نامه را رساندم simply means “I delivered the letter.”

باعث شدن is neutral and common in explanatory, formal, and written language. It works well for events whose connection needs a full clause: این تصمیم باعث شد که قیمت‌ها بالا برود “This decision caused prices to rise.” Before a noun it takes the ezafe link: باعثِ مشکل شد “it caused a problem.” In everyday speech, speakers may instead use a more concrete verb or کاری کرد که.

وادار کردن and مجبور کردن overlap, but both foreground pressure. مجبور کردن often sounds stronger and explicitly coercive; وادار کردن can also describe pressure from circumstances or persuasion that leaves little practical choice. If the person acts willingly after encouragement, راضی کردن “persuade” may be more accurate: راضیش کردم بیاید “I persuaded him/her to come.”

Written Persian usually spells the object marker as را, while colloquial pronunciation is often ro after vowels and o after consonants. Spoken verb forms also contract, but the underlying causative relationship remains the same. Learn the standard written form first, then notice conversational variants in listening.

Beyond the Basics / Advanced Use

Causatives can add a participant—but meaning controls the syntax

A causative typically increases a verb’s valency, meaning the number of participants the verb requires or permits. An intransitive verb such as خوابیدن has a sleeper; خواباندن adds a causer and treats the sleeper as an object. This neat pattern is easiest with intransitive bases.

If the underlying event already has an agent and an object, a morphological causative would need to accommodate an additional participant. Modern Persian often avoids an overloaded single clause and chooses وادار کردن, باعث شدن, or another construction with که. The separate clause makes each role clear:

• علی نامه را نوشت. — Ali wrote the letter.
• معلم علی را وادار کرد که نامه را بنویسد. — The teacher made Ali write the letter.

Here معلم is the causer, علی را is the causee, and نامه را is the object of بنویسد. The clause prevents the two object roles from becoming difficult to interpret.

Direct and indirect causation

A morphological causative often suggests a relatively direct result, but this is a tendency rather than an absolute rule. بچه را خواباند presents the causer as successfully bringing about sleep. A clause can focus on a longer chain of consequences: سر و صدا باعث شد که بچه نتواند بخوابد “The noise caused the child to be unable to sleep.”

This also affects whether the result is presented as completed. او را خنداندم normally entails that the person laughed. سعی کردم او را بخندانم “I tried to make him/her laugh” removes that guarantee because سعی کردم explicitly marks an attempt.

The causee’s degree of control

Persian lets you choose a construction according to how much control the causee has:

Persian choice	Approximate English value	Causee’s role
خنداندن	make someone laugh	Reaction is presented as a direct result
راضی کردن	persuade	Causee agrees after persuasion
وادار کردن	make/compel	Causee acts under pressure
مجبور کردن	force	Strong constraint or obligation
گذاشتن	let/allow	Causer permits the action

These are semantic contrasts, not interchangeable grammatical wrappers. Choosing the precise Persian verb usually produces a more natural sentence than searching for one universal equivalent of English “make.”

Having a service done

English “have/get something done” often hides the person who performs the work. Conversational Persian commonly uses دادن followed by a clause with a third-person plural verb: دادم لباس را خشک‌شویی کنند “I had the clothes dry-cleaned.” The plural can refer to an unspecified service provider rather than a known group. More explicit alternatives include از تعمیرکار خواستم ماشین را تعمیر کند “I asked the mechanic to repair the car.” Register and context determine which sounds clearest.

Practice Tips

1. Build causative pairs, not isolated lists. Write five short pairs such as بچه خوابید / مادر بچه را خواباند. Underline the old subject, then mark how it becomes the causee with را.
2. Sort meanings before translating. Take English sentences with “make,” “have,” “get,” and “let,” and label each one as direct result, pressure, permission, persuasion, or arranged service. Only then choose -اندن, وادار کردن, گذاشتن, or another Persian construction.
3. Learn both stems in real forms. For each frequent -اندن verb, practise one past and one present sentence—for example, ترساند and می‌ترساند—rather than memorising only the infinitive.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Advanced Compound Verbs — helps you recognise causative pairs with شدن / کردن and other light verbs.