Causative Verbs (Af'aal-e-Muta'addi)
Source Reference: Textbook Pages 63–65
1. Concept of Causation in Urdu
In Urdu, intransitive verbs can be converted into transitive verbs (First Causative), and transitive verbs can be converted into double-transitive verbs (Second Causative), through systematic morphological modifications of the verb root.
Base Verb (Intransitive) ──► First Causative (Transitive) ──► Second Causative (Double Transitive)
فعل لازم فعل متعدی متعدی المتعدی
"Subject acts" "Subject makes X act" "Subject has Y make X act"
- Base / Intransitive (فعل لازم — Fe'l-e-Laazim): The subject acts alone (e.g., "The child sleeps").
- First Causative / Transitive (فعل متعدی بالواسطہ / متعدی اول — Causative I): The subject causes an object to perform the action (e.g., "The mother puts the child to sleep").
- Second Causative / Double Transitive (متعدی المتعدی — Causative II): The subject induces or employs an intermediary agent to cause the action (e.g., "The father gets the nurse to put the child to sleep").
Compare the base and causative infinitives پکنا (paknā), “to cook” in the sense of food cooking, پکانا (pakānā), “to cook something,” and پکوانا (pakwānā), “to have something cooked.” For a refresher on objects and verb roots, see verb roots and classes.
2. Derivation Rules for Causatives
Rule 1: Suffixing -aana (آنا) and -waana (وانا)
For standard regular consonant-final roots, Causative I adds -aana (آنا), and Causative II adds -waana (وانا) to the root.
| Base Verb (لازم) | Causative I (متعدی) | Causative II (متعدی المتعدی) | English Progression |
|---|---|---|---|
| اٹھنا (uthna) — to rise | اٹھانا (uthaana — to raise / lift) | اٹھوانا (uthwaana) — to have lifted | To rise ➔ To lift ➔ To have lifted |
| پکنا (pakna) — to cook/ripen | پکانا (pakaana — to cook [food]) | پکوانا (pakwaana) — to have cooked | To be cooked ➔ To cook ➔ To have cooked |
| جلنا (jalna) — to burn | جلانا (jalaana — to ignite/burn) | جلوانا (jalwaana) — to have burnt | To burn ➔ To ignite ➔ To have ignited |
| گرنا (girna) — to fall | گرانا (giraana — to drop/fell) | گروانا (girwaana) — to have dropped | To fall ➔ To drop ➔ To have dropped |
| چڑھنا (chadhna) — to climb | چڑھانا (chadhaana — to raise) | چڑھوانا (chadhwaana) — to have raised | To climb ➔ To raise ➔ To have raised |
Rule 2: Shortening of Internal Long Vowels
When the root contains a long vowel (aa, ee, oo), the vowel is shortened when adding -aana and -waana:
- Long
aa(آ / ا) shortens to shorta(zabar). - Long
ee(ای) shortens to shorti(zer). - Long
oo / o(او) shortens to shortu(pesh).
| Base Verb (لازم) | Causative I (متعدی) | Causative II (متعدی المتعدی) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| جاگنا (jaagna) | جگانا (jagaana) | جگوانا (jagwaana) | To awaken / wake up |
| بھاگنا (bhaagna) | بھگانا (bhagaana) | بھگوانا (bhagwaana) | To flee / chase away |
| بولنا (bolna) | بلانا (bulaana) | بلوانا (bulwaana) | To speak ➔ To call / invite |
| لیٹنا (leitna) | لٹانا (litaana) | لٹوانا (litwaana) | To lie down ➔ To lay down |
| ڈوبنا (doobna) | ڈبانا (dubaana) | ڈبوانا (dubwaana) | To drown / sink |
| دوڑنا (daudna) | دڑانا (dudaana) | دڑوانا (dudwaana) | To run ➔ To make run |
Rule 3: Roots Ending in Vowels (The -laana and -lwaana Pattern)
When the verb root ends in an open vowel (a, ee, o, u), an intercalated l (ل) is inserted before the causative suffix, resulting in -laana (لانا) and -lwaana (لوانا). The preceding root vowel is regularly shortened to short i or u.
| Base Verb | Causative I (-laana) |
Causative II (-lwaana) |
English Progression |
|---|---|---|---|
| پینا (peena) — to drink | پلانا (pilaana — to give drink / feed) | پلوانا (pilwaana) — to cause to drink | Drink ➔ Feed drink ➔ Have fed drink |
| سونا (sona) — to sleep | سلانا (sulaana — to put to sleep) | سلوانا (sulwaana) — to have put to sleep | Sleep ➔ Put to sleep ➔ Have put to sleep |
| دینا (dena) — to give | دلانا (dilaana — to cause to give) | دلوانا (dilwaana) — to have given | Give ➔ Cause to give ➔ Have given |
| لینا (lena) — to take | دلانا (dilaana) | دلوانا (dilwaana) | Take ➔ Get given |
| دھونا (dhona) — to wash | دھلانا (dhulaana — to wash) | دھلوانا (dhulwaana) — to get washed | Wash ➔ Wash ➔ Get washed by someone |
| رونا (rona) — to cry | رلانا (rulaana — to make cry) | رلوانا (rulwaana) — to cause to weep | Weep ➔ Make weep ➔ Cause to weep |
| سیکھنا (seekhna) — to learn | سکھانا (sikhaana — to teach) | سکھوانا (sikhwaana) — to have taught | Learn ➔ Teach ➔ Have taught |
| کھانا (khaana) — to eat | کھلانا (khilaana — to feed) | کھلوانا (khilwaana) — to have fed | Eat ➔ Feed ➔ Have fed |
Rule 4: Internal Vowel Lengthening (Direct Transitive Formation)
Certain intransitive verbs form their transitive directly by lengthening the internal vowel of the root, without adding -aana. Their Causative II then reverts to the short vowel + -waana.
| Intransitive Base (لازم) | Transitive Form (متعدی) | Causative II (متعدی المتعدی) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| مرنا (marna) — to die | مارنا (maarna — to kill/strike) | مروانا (marwaana) — to cause to be killed | Die ➔ Kill ➔ Have killed |
| کٹنا (katna) — to be cut | کاٹنا (kaatna — to cut) | کٹوانا (katwaana) — to have cut | Be cut ➔ Cut ➔ Have cut |
| بندھنا (bandhna) — to be tied | باندھنا (baandhna — to tie) | بندھوانا (bandhwaana) — to have tied | Be tied ➔ Tie ➔ Have tied |
| کھلنا (khulna) — to open [intr.] | کھولنا (kholna — to open [tr.]) | کھلوانا (khulwaana) — to have opened | Open (intr.) ➔ Open (tr.) ➔ Have opened |
| لدنا (ladna) — to be loaded | لادنا (laadna — to load) | لدوانا (ladwaana) — to have loaded | Be loaded ➔ Load ➔ Have loaded |
| دبنا (dabna) — to be pressed | دابنا (daabna — to press) | دبوانا (dabwaana) — to have pressed | Be pressed ➔ Press ➔ Have pressed |
3. Sentential Contrasts Across Causative Degrees
Observe how syntactic roles shift from subject to object, and how the intermediary agent is marked with سے (se):
1. Base (Intransitive):
بچہ دودھ پیتا ہے۔
Bachha doodh peeta hai.
"The child drinks milk."
2. First Causative:
ماں بچے کو دودھ پلاتی ہے۔
Maa bachhe ko doodh pilaati hai.
"The mother feeds milk to the child."
3. Second Causative:
باپ آیا سے بچے کو دودھ پلواتا ہے۔
Baap aaya se bachhe ko doodh pilwaata hai.
"The father has the nanny feed milk to the child."
In the Second Causative, the intermediary who physically executes the deed (آیا — nanny) is governed by the instrumental postposition سے (se — "by / through").
4. Copular / Defective Verbs (Fe'l-e-Naaqis — فعل ناقص)
Textbook Page 65 highlights the syntactic behavior of copular verbs:
- ہونا (hona) — to be / become
- بنا / بننا (banna) — to become / turn into
- رہنا (rahna) — to remain / stay
Unlike standard transitive or intransitive verbs, a defective verb requires an attribute or predicate adjective/noun (خبر — Khabar) to form a complete predicate:
مبتدا (Subject) + خبر (Predicate Complement) + فعل ناقص (Copula)
- احمد بیمار ہے (Ahmad beemaar hai — "Ahmad is sick")
- سلیم اچھا طالب علم بنا (Saleem achha taalib-e-ilm bana — "Saleem became a good student")
- ہم خوش رہے (Hum khush rahe — "We remained happy")