Causative Verb Forms in Urdu

Overview

Urdu has a productive causative system with two levels: first causative (direct cause) and second causative (indirect cause). At the CEFR B1 level, understanding causatives is important because they are extremely common in daily Urdu and express who makes or has someone else do something.

The first causative indicates direct causation: ماں نے بچے کو کھلایا (Mother fed the child — directly). The second causative indicates indirect causation through an intermediary: اس نے نوکر سے کام کروایا (He had the servant do the work — through delegation).

How It Works

Three Levels

Level	Pattern	Example with کھانا (eat)
Base	کھانا khānā	to eat
1st causative	کھلانا khilānā	to feed (make someone eat)
2nd causative	کھلوانا khilvānā	to have someone fed (through another)

Common Causative Triplets

Base	1st Causative	2nd Causative	Base Meaning
کھانا	کھلانا	کھلوانا	eat
پڑھنا	پڑھانا	پڑھوانا	read/study
سیکھنا	سکھانا	سکھوانا	learn
دیکھنا	دکھانا	دکھوانا	see
سننا	سنانا	سنوانا	hear
بنانا	بنوانا	—	make
دھونا	دھلانا	دھلوانا	wash
کرنا	کرانا	کروانا	do

Causative Sentence Patterns

Level	Subject	Object/Agent	Verb
Base	بچے نے	کھانا	کھایا (child ate food)
1st	ماں نے	بچے کو + کھانا	کھلایا (mother fed child)
2nd	ماں نے	نوکرانی سے + بچے کو	کھلوایا (mother had servant feed child)

Examples in Context

Urdu	Transliteration	English	Note
ماں نے بچے کو کھلایا۔	māṅ ne bachche ko khilāyā	Mother fed the child.	1st causative
اس نے نوکر سے کام کروایا۔	us ne naukar se kām karvāyā	He had the servant do the work.	2nd causative
استاد نے بچوں کو پڑھایا۔	ustād ne bachhoṅ ko paṛhāyā	The teacher taught the children.	1st causative of پڑھنا
میں نے کپڑے دھلوائے۔	maiṅ ne kapṛe dhulvāe	I had the clothes washed.	2nd causative
ڈاکٹر نے دوائی پلائی۔	ḍākṭar ne davāī pilāī	The doctor gave medicine to drink.	1st causative of پینا
میں نے گھر بنوایا۔	maiṅ ne ghar banvāyā	I had a house built.	2nd causative
بچوں کو سلاؤ۔	bachhoṅ ko sulāo	Put the children to sleep.	1st causative of سونا
اس نے مجھے دکھایا۔	us ne mujhe dikhāyā	He/She showed me.	1st causative of دیکھنا

Common Mistakes

Confusing Base and Causative Forms

• Wrong: Using پڑھنا (to read) when meaning "to teach"
• Right: پڑھانا = to teach (causative of "to read")
• Why: Many common verbs like "teach" (پڑھانا) and "feed" (کھلانا) are causatives of simpler verbs.

Mixing Up 1st and 2nd Causative

• Wrong: Using 1st causative for indirect causation
• Right: 1st = direct cause; 2nd = through an intermediary
• Why: میں نے کھلایا (I fed someone directly) vs. میں نے کھلوایا (I had someone fed by a third party).

Forgetting Ergativity with Causatives

• Wrong: ماں بچے کو کھلایا۔
• Right: ماں نے بچے کو کھلایا۔
• Why: Causative verbs are transitive and require نے in perfective tenses.

Usage Notes

Causatives are so integrated into everyday Urdu that many are not even recognized as causatives by native speakers. "Teaching" (پڑھانا) is simply "causing to read," and "showing" (دکھانا) is "causing to see." Understanding this relationship helps in learning and remembering vocabulary.

Practice Tips

• Learn causative triplets as vocabulary groups: eat/feed/have fed.
• Practice building sentences with all three levels for the same verb.
• Identify causatives in everyday language — many common verbs are causatives of simpler ones.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Split Ergativity (نے Construction) — Causatives interact with ergativity