Causative Suffix Shapes
Turkish uses different causative suffixes (-t, -dir, -ir, -ar, -it) depending on the verb's phonology. The most common are -t and -dir.
How It Works
In Turkish, the causative voice is formed by adding a suffix to the verb stem. Selecting the correct suffix requires checking the stem's structure:
1. The -t Suffix:
Used after polysyllabic (multi-syllable) stems ending in a vowel (e.g., oku-t-mak) or stems ending in -l or -r (e.g., düz-el-t-mek).
2. The -dir Suffix (and its 8 variants):
This is the default suffix. It is used after most consonants and monosyllabic (one-syllable) stems ending in -l or -r (e.g., gül-dür-mek). Crucially, it is also used for monosyllabic stems ending in a vowel (e.g., ye-dir-mek, de-dir-mek). It follows consonant assimilation and four-way vowel harmony.
3. Lexical Suffixes (-ir, -ar, -it):
These are restricted to specific groups of mostly monosyllabic verbs. While they seem irregular, they are fixed for those specific words (e.g., iç-ir-mek, çık-ar-mak, kork-ut-mak).
4. Irregular Stems:
A few common verbs change their stems entirely, such as gelmek (to come) becoming getirmek (to bring).
Examples (5)
- Annem bana süt içirdi.
My mother made me drink milk.
Word by Word: My mother to-me milk made-drink.
The verb 'içmek' is one of the specific monosyllabic verbs that takes the -ir suffix.
- Öğretmen soruyu bana düzelttirdi.
The teacher had me correct the question.
Word by Word: Teacher question to-me made-correct.
The stem 'düzel-' is polysyllabic and ends in -l, so it first takes -t to become 'düzelt-'. A second causative -dir is added for the 'had me do' nuance.
- Ali saçını berbere kestirdi.
Ali had the barber cut his hair.
Word by Word: Ali his-hair to-barber made-cut.
The verb 'kes-' ends in a consonant and is monosyllabic, so it takes the standard -dir suffix (becoming -tir due to the 's').
- Bütün gün bizi güldürdü.
He made us laugh all day.
Word by Word: All day us he-made-laugh.
The verb 'gül-' is monosyllabic and ends in -l, which requires the -dir suffix.
- Babam kardeşimi erkenden uyuttu.
My father put my sibling to sleep early.
Word by Word: My-father my-sibling early made-sleep.
The verb 'uyu-' ends in a vowel, so it takes the -t suffix.
Common Mistakes
Using -dir on polysyllabic stems ending in a vowel.
Kitabı ona okudurdum.Kitabı ona okuttum.For verbs with more than one syllable ending in a vowel, like 'okumak', you must use the -t suffix. The -dir suffix is only used for monosyllabic vowel stems like 'yemek' (yedirmek).
Confusing the case of the 'causee' (the person doing the action).
Sekreteri mektubu yazdırdım.Sekretere mektubu yazdırdım.If the base verb is transitive (takes an object like 'mektup'), the person caused to do the action is usually in the Dative case (-e/-a). The ablative (-den) is also possible: 'sekreterden mektubu yazdırdım'.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To learn causative suffix selection, you need to understand the basic causative voice, how four-way vowel harmony affects suffix vowels, and how consonant assimilation changes the initial 'd' to 't' in the -dir suffix.
Related Patterns
- Forming the Passive
Like the causative, the passive voice also has specific rules for suffix selection based on the verb stem.
Level 4 - Double Causative
Explains how multiple causative suffixes can be stacked (e.g., -t + -dir) to show a chain of command.
Level 5 - Vowel Harmony: Front and Back
The vowels in suffixes like -dir, -ir, and -it must follow four-way vowel harmony.
Level 1 - Consonant Assimilation
The -dir suffix changes to -tir after voiceless consonants (f, s, t, k, ç, ş, h, p).
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
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