First Causative Verbs

This grammar works by modifying the base verb to show that the subject is causing the action. In a standard sentence, the subject performs the verb. In a causative sentence, the subject directs the verb toward someone else. Imagine you are at a cafe. You don't just "see" the menu; the waiter "shows" it to you. That "showing" is the first causative of "seeing." It usually involves two people: the one who initiates and the one who performs. However, the focus remains on your involvement in making it happen. It is like a grammar traffic light—you are the one turning the light green for someone else to go. You are providing the means, the permission, or the direct help for the action to occur.

1. 1Creating these verbs is like following a simple recipe, though some ingredients change shape when heated! Follow these steps:
2. 2Start with the verb root. For bolna (to speak), the root is bol.
3. 3Add the suffix -aa to the root. Now you have bola.
4. 4Add the infinitive ending -naa. You get bulana (to call/make speak).
5. 5Watch for vowel shortening! This is the tricky part. Long vowels in the root usually become short.
6. 6aa becomes a (e.g., jaagna becomes jagana).
7. 7ee or e becomes i (e.g., seekhna becomes sikhana).
8. 8oo or o becomes u (e.g., bolna becomes bulana).
9. 9For some one-syllable roots ending in vowels, add -l- before the -aa. For example, khana (to eat) becomes khilana (to feed).

You use the First Causative when you are directly involved in the action. Use it when you are teaching someone a skill (sikhana). Use it when you are showing someone a beautiful view (dikhana). It is perfect for caretaking scenarios, like feeding a child (khilana) or making someone drink water (pilana). It is also the go-to form for giving reminders or making someone remember something (yaad dilana). In a job interview, you might use it to explain how you "managed" or "led" a team to perform. It implies a direct, hands-on connection between your influence and the result. It is personal, active, and very common in warm, social interactions.

Don't use the First Causative if you are the one doing the work alone. That is just a regular verb! Also, avoid it if you are asking a third party to get something done by someone else. That requires the Second Causative (using -waa). For example, if you tell a tailor to stitch a suit, that's different from you helping someone put a suit on. If the action is purely internal and cannot be caused (like "to exist"), this form won't work. Also, be careful with verbs that are already transitive. While you can make them causative, sometimes the meaning shifts more than you expect. Don't force it if a simpler verb like karna (to do) combined with a noun works better.

The biggest trap is forgetting to shorten the root vowel. Saying seekhana instead of sikhana sounds a bit clunky to a native ear. It is like wearing socks with sandals—not illegal, but people will notice! Another mistake is confusing the First Causative (-aa) with the Second Causative (-waa). If you say khilwana when you mean khilana, you are saying you hired a caterer to feed someone instead of doing it yourself. Also, watch out for the -l- insertion. khana to khana (wrong) vs khilana (correct). Lastly, remember that the subject of a causative sentence takes the normal case endings, but the person doing the action often takes ko.

Let's look at the hierarchy of action.

• Level 0: Intransitive (girna - to fall). The vase just falls.
• Level 1: Transitive (girana - to drop). You physically drop the vase.
• Level 2: First Causative (often overlaps with Transitive in Hindi). You make someone else drop it or you perform the action of dropping.
• Level 3: Second Causative (girwana). You pay a guy to drop the vase.

In many cases, the First Causative and the Transitive form are actually the same word in Hindi. The real contrast is between doing it yourself (karna) and making it happen through someone else (karana).