All languagesTurkish › Lesson 35

Ettirgen çatı (causative)

Make / let / cause to V.

Turkish wraps 'make / let / have someone do it' inside the verb. yemek = to eat → yedirmek = to feed (make eat). uyumak = to sleep → uyutmak = to put to sleep. ölmek = to die → öldürmek = to kill (make die). The trick is that the suffix has several shapes: -dir / -tir is the workhorse, -t attaches to longer stems ending in a vowel or -l / -r, and a small group uses an old -ir / -it / -ert.

Why bother?

English uses 'make him do it' or a separate verb ('feed' for 'make eat'). Turkish builds it into the verb, then keeps stacking endings: yedirtmek = to have someone feed someone — double causative. The original subject of the action becomes a direct object (accusative); the new causer takes the verb.

The default suffix: -dir / -tir

Most verbs of two or more syllables, or stems ending in a non-vowel non-l/r consonant, take -dir / -dır / -dur / -dür (after voiced sounds) or -tir / -tır / -tur / -tür (after voiceless): bil-bildirmek (to inform = make know), piş-pişirmek (to cook = make cook), gül-güldürmek (to make laugh).

The short -t after vowels and -l / -r

Multi-syllable stems ending in a vowel, or in -l / -r, take just -t: uyu-uyutmak (to put to sleep), anla-anlatmak (to explain = make understand), otur-oturtmak (to seat = make sit), temizle-temizletmek (to have something cleaned).

The old -ir / -it / -ert pocket

A small closed list keeps an older causative. iç-içirmek (to make drink), bat-batırmak (to dunk = make sink), yat-yatırmak (to lay down). And three irregulars with -ert: çıkmakçıkarmak (to take out — actually -ar), gitmekgidermek (to remove). Don't memorize the whole list — just notice it when it shows up.

Stacking and case

Causatives stack: yap-yaptır- (have done) → yaptırt- (have someone have it done). The person who actually does the action goes in the dative (-e / -a), the thing affected stays accusative: Çocuğa kitabı okuttum. = 'I had the child read the book.' (lit. 'to-the-child the-book I-read-caused').

Examples

Annem bebeği yedirdi.
Mom fed the baby.
yemekyedirmek.
Çocuğu uyuttum.
I put the child to sleep.
uyumakuyutmak (vowel stem → -t).
Bu film beni güldürdü.
This film made me laugh.
gülmekgüldürmek.
Öğretmen bize bir hikaye anlattı.
The teacher told us a story.
anlamakanlatmak (make understand).
Arabayı tamir ettirdim.
I had the car repaired.
etmekettirmek.
Çocuğa mektubu okuttum.
I had the child read the letter.
okumakokutmak; child = dative.

Learn it properly — in the app

Duspik teaches real grammar with stories, exercises and an AI tutor that grades what you mean, not just the exact words.