-ig-

-ig-: Make or Cause

Level 3

-ig- turns a root into a verb that changes something.

How It Works

Root	With -ig-	Meaning
pura (clean)	purigi	make clean
bela (beautiful)	beligi	make beautiful
plena (full)	plenigi	make full, fill
sidi (sit)	sidigi	make someone sit

After an adjective root, the object gets that quality: Mi purigas la ĉambron means that the room becomes clean. After a verb root, the object does the action: sidigi means to make someone sit.

Because the object is the one that changes, a verb with -ig- needs something to act on. When a thing changes on its own, use -iĝ- instead.

Read the parts one by one: pura (clean) + -ig- (make) + -i (verb) gives purigi. The ending of the root drops out, and the verb ending comes last.

Examples (4)

Mi purigas la ĉambron.
I am cleaning the room.
Purigi means make clean; la ĉambron is the object.
Ana beligas la ĝardenon per floroj.
Ana makes the garden beautiful with flowers.
Beligi means make beautiful, and the garden gets -n.
Ewa plenigas la tason per teo.
Ewa fills the cup with tea.
Plenigi means make full.
Pedro sidigas la infanon apud Lucia.
Pedro seats the child beside Lucia.
Sidigi comes from sidi: Pedro makes the child sit.

Common Mistakes

Using -ig- for something that happens by itself.
La vendejo malfermigas je la oka.
La vendejo malfermiĝas je la oka.
The -ig- verb needs an object, because someone opens something. When the shop opens by itself, use -iĝ-: malfermiĝas.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

-ig-Level 3-ig-: Make or Cause

Learn This First

The ending -ig- makes a verb that takes an object.

Practice -ig- in Bubblegum

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