Causative Voice (-dir, -t, etc.)

The causative voice (ettirgen çatı) means "to make / have / let someone do X" or "to cause X to happen". Several suffixes exist; the choice mainly depends on how the stem ends, and some verbs simply have to be learned.

Causative Suffixes

• -dir / -dır / -dur / -dür (-tir / -tır / -tur / -tür after voiceless consonants): the most common, used with most consonant-final stems and some one-syllable vowel stems.
  öl → öldürmek (to kill), gül → güldürmek (to make laugh), yap → yaptırmak (to have done), yaz → yazdırmak (to have written), kes → kestirmek (to have cut), ye → yedirmek (to feed)
• -t: stems of more than one syllable ending in a vowel, and many ending in l or r.
  anla → anlatmak (to explain, tell), bekle → bekletmek (to keep waiting), oku → okutmak (to have read), uyu → uyutmak (to put to sleep), otur → oturtmak (to seat), azal → azaltmak (to reduce)
• -ir / -ır / -ur / -ür: some one-syllable stems.
  bit → bitirmek (to finish), düş → düşürmek (to drop), iç → içirmek (to make drink), piş → pişirmek (to cook), doğ → doğurmak (to give birth), kaç → kaçırmak (to miss, kidnap)
• -ar / -er: a few stems.
  çık → çıkarmak (to take out), kop → koparmak (to tear off)
• -it / -ıt / -ut / -üt: a few stems.
  kork → korkutmak (to frighten), ak → akıtmak (to make flow)
• Irregular: gör → göstermek (to show), gel → getirmek (to bring), git → götürmek (to take), kalk → kaldırmak (to lift, remove)

Who Is Made to Do It?

• Transitive base verb (has its own object): the person made to act takes the dative (-e/-a). Ali'ye mektubu yazdırdım. (I had Ali write the letter.) Öğretmen öğrencilere kitabı okuttu. (The teacher had the students read the book.)
• Intransitive base verb: the person or thing becomes the direct object (accusative). Çocuğu güldürdüm. (I made the child laugh.) Bebeği uyuttu. (He/She put the baby to sleep.)
• Doer not mentioned: Saçımı kestirdim. (I had my hair cut.) Arabamı yıkattım. (I had my car washed.)

Causative verbs are conjugated normally: yaptırmadım (I didn't have it done), pişireceğim (I'll cook), gösterir misin? (Will you show me?)

Double Causatives

A causative can be made causative again, usually with -t after -dir or -ir: yaptırmak → yaptırtmak, öldürmek → öldürtmek (to have someone killed). In everyday speech the double form often means the same as the single one.

Common Mistakes

• Assuming -dir everywhere: anladırmak ✗ → anlatmak ✓; bitdirmek ✗ → bitirmek ✓
• Forgetting the irregular verbs: geldirmek ✗ → getirmek ✓
• Wrong case for the person: Ali'yi mektubu yazdırdım ✗ → Ali'ye mektubu yazdırdım ✓
• Mixing up causative and passive: yaptırdım (I had it done) vs yapıldı (it was done)