Causative verbs in Turkish

Causative verbs are verbs that explain how a person or a thing makes something happen (verbs with an obligated indirect object like to make something, to get something,...). In Turkish, a causative verb is formed by adding a specific suffix to the verb.

Lesson outline

Hide

1.The causative verb form
2.Uses of the causative suffix
2.1.Forming the transitive verb starting from an intransitive verb
2.2.Saying "to get" and "to make" in Turkish
3.Exercises
3.1.Multiple choice exercise on the causative verbs in Turkish
3.2.Fill in the blanks exercise about the causative verbs

The causative verb form

The causative verbs are formed by adding the causative suffix after the verb root according to the vowel harmony rules:

Verb root + causative suffix + 'mek/mak'

Causative suffixes	Verb	Causative verb form
-it, -ıt, -üt, -ut	korkmak (to be afraid)	korkutmak (to scare someone)
-ir, -ır, -ür, -ur	pişmek (to cook)	pişirmek (to cook something)
-er, -ar	gitmek (to go)	gidermek (to remove something)
-t	anlamak (to understand)	anlatmak (to make someone understand)
-dir, -dır, -dür, -dur, -tir, -tır, -tür, -tur	gülmek (to laugh)	güldürmek (to make someone laugh)

Have a question?

Take online language lessons with a professional teacher

Native & verified teachers
Free trial lesson
Learning materials included

Bahar C.

Aysegul I.

Elena A.

Merve Nur D.

Merve P.

Esra O.

Hubeyb K.

Cagla B.

Hatice Ç.

Ayşe Y.

Sign up for free

Uses of the causative suffix

1. Forming the transitive verb starting from an intransitive verb

The causative suffix is used to form the transitive verbs (that takes an object) from the intransitive verbs (that take no object).

Intransitive verb	Transitive verb
ölmek (to die)	öldürmek (to kill)
durmak (to stop)	durdurmak (to stop something/someone)
bakmak (to look)	baktırmak (to cause to look)

Intransitive : Kuş öldü. ->The bird is dead. (no object)
Transitive: O kuşu öldürdü. ->He killed the bird. ('kuşu: the bird' is the object)

Intransitive: Araba durdu. -> The car stopped. (no object)
Transitive: Babam arabayı durdurdu. -> My father stopped the car. ('arabayı: the car' is the object)

Intransitive: O bize baktı. ->He looked at us. (no object)
Transitive: O Ayşe'yi bize baktırdı. -> He made Ayşe to looked at us. ('Ayşe'yi' is the object)

2. Saying "to get" and "to make" in Turkish

Active verb	Causative verb
temizlemek (to clean)	temizletmek (get someone to clean)
silmek (to erase)	sildirmek (make someone erase something)
koşmak (to run)	koşturmak (make someone run)

Evi temizleyeceğim. (I will clean the house.) -> Anneme evi temizleteceğim. (I will get my mother to clean the house.)
Onlar yazıyı silecekler. (They will erase the article.) -> Onlara yazıyı sildirecek. (He will make them erase the article.)
Atlar koşuyor. (The horses are running.) -> Jokey atları koşturuyor. (The jockey make the horses run.)