-انا

Causing an Event

Level 4

Learn related verbs as a meaningful pair.

How It Works

The spelling is not always a simple suffix added to an unchanged stem. Compare پینا and پلانا, or دیکھنا and دکھانا. Some pairs have established meanings such as “show” rather than a word-for-word “cause to see.”

A causative is a full verb and takes the tense, case and agreement required by its own construction. A completed transitive causative commonly marks the causer with نے.

Do not assume that every verb ending in انا is transparently causative, or that one mechanical rule creates every acceptable form. Check the attested pair.

Examples (4)

  1. بلال نے بچے کو سلایا۔

    Bilal put the child to sleep.

    سلانا introduces the person bringing about sleep.

  2. مریم نے بلال کو راستہ دکھایا۔

    Maryam showed Bilal the way.

    دکھانا is the established causative partner of دیکھنا.

  3. اس نے مہمان کو پانی پلایا۔

    They gave the guest water to drink.

    پلانا is related to پینا with a changed stem.

  4. بلال نے ہمیں ایک کہانی سنائی۔

    Bilal told us a story.

    سنائی agrees with feminine کہانی; the causative commonly means to tell or recite.

How It Connects

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

-اناLevel 4Causing an Event

Learn This First

Distinguish a caused event from an event that happens without an expressed causer.