In Arabic, causative constructions are used to indicate that one person or entity causes another to perform a certain action. Unlike English, where causative constructions are mostly formed with auxiliary verbs like make, have, or get, Arabic primarily uses morphological changes to the verb form, specifically through verb patterns (or awzān, أوزان).
In Classical Arabic and Modern Standard Arabic (MSA), causative constructions are typically formed by using Form II (الفعل المزيد فيه بالهمزة) of the verb. This form is derived from the base verb (Form I) and is used to express the idea of making or causing someone to do something. Other derived forms, such as Forms IV, X, and sometimes Form III, can also convey causation, but the most common causative form is Form II.
Let’s go through the details.
1. Form II (Causative Form)
Form II is the most common way to express causation in Arabic. It is created by doubling the middle radical (consonant) of the root verb. The pattern for Form II is:
فَعَّلَ / يُفَعِّلُ (faʿʿala / yufaʿʿilu)
How It Works:
Form I: This is the basic verb form that expresses a simple action.
Form II: The derived form expresses the causative meaning of the verb, indicating that someone is causing someone else to perform the action.
Example:
Root Verb (Form I): كَتَبَ (kataba) – “to write”
Form II (Causative): كَتَّبَ (kattaba) – “to make someone write” or “to cause someone to write”
Example sentence: الأستاذُ كَتَّبَ الطُّلابَ الدرسَ (al-ustādh kattaba aṭ-ṭullāb ad-darsa) – “The teacher made the students write the lesson.”
In this case, كَتَّبَ conveys the meaning that the teacher is causing or requiring the students to perform the action of writing.
2. Form III (Sometimes Causative)
Form III can sometimes be used to convey a sense of causation, although it is more commonly used for reciprocal actions or actions involving interaction between two parties. The pattern for Form III is:
فَاعَلَ / يُفَاعِلُ (fāʿala / yufāʿilu)
Example:
Root Verb (Form I): عَلِمَ (ʿalima) – “to know”
Form III (Causative/Interactive): عَالَمَ (ʿālima) – “to make someone know” or “to inform”
Example sentence: الرجلُ عالَمَ زميلَهُ الخبرَ (ar-rajul ʿālma zamīlahu al-khabar) – “The man informed his colleague of the news.”
While this form is not strictly causative in most cases, it can imply that the subject is causing someone to gain knowledge or awareness.
3. Form IV (Causative with More Intensity)
Form IV also expresses causative meaning but often with a more direct or intense sense than Form II. It is formed by adding a hamza (أ) at the beginning of the root. The pattern is:
أَفْعَلَ / يُفْعِلُ (ʾafʿala / yufʿilu)
Example:
Root Verb (Form I): خَرَجَ (kharaja) – “to go out”
Form IV (Causative): أَخْرَجَ (ʾakhraja) – “to make someone go out” or “to expel”
Example sentence: سيتم طلاء بيتي (sayatimu tila’ bayti) – “I’m having my house painted. (I paid another person to paint my house.).”
Here, سيتم conveys the idea of requesting someone to paint your house, thus expressing a causative relationship.
4. Form X (Causative with a Reflexive Element)
Form X is another derived form that can be used to express causation, often with an element of reflexivity or self-causation. The pattern is:
اِسْتَفْعَلَ / يَسْتَفْعِلُ (istafʿala / yastafʿilu)
Example:
Root Verb (Form I): قَدَرَ (qadara) – “to be able”
Form X (Causative): اسْتَقْدَرَ (istaqdara) – “to make someone able” or “to empower”
Example sentence: لقد ساعد المعلم الطالب من حل المشكلة (al-muʿallim istaqdara aṭ-ṭālib ʿalā ḥall al-mushkila) – “The teacher empowered the student to solve the problem.”
In this example, ساعد conveys that the subject (the teacher) is enabling or causing the student to carry out an action (solving the problem).
5. Expressing Causativity with Prepositions
In some cases, Arabic can express causative meaning by using certain prepositions or phrases rather than changing the verb form. This method is more common in colloquial varieties of Arabic.
Example:
Standard Arabic:
جعل (jaʿala) – “to make”
Example: جعلتني أضحك (jaʿaltanī aḍḥak) – “You made me laugh.”
Colloquial Arabic:
خلّى (khalla) – “to make” or “to let”
Example (in Egyptian Arabic): خلّاني أروح (khallānī arūḥ) – “He made me go.”
In these examples, جعل and خلّى are used as auxiliary verbs to convey a causative meaning, similar to how “make” is used in English.
Summary of Causative Patterns in Arabic
Form Pattern Meaning Example
Form II faʿʿala / yufaʿʿilu Causes someone to perform an action كَتَّبَ (kattaba) – “to make someone write”
Form III fāʿala / yufāʿilu Sometimes causative, often for reciprocal actions عَالَمَ (ʿālima) – “to inform”
Form IV ʾafʿala / yufʿilu Causative, often more intense or direct أَخْرَجَ (ʾakhraja) – “to expel”
Form X istafʿala / yastafʿilu Causative with reflexive or enabling nuance اسْتَقْدَرَ (istaqdara) – “to empower”
Using Verbs جعل or خلّى Auxiliary verbs used in Modern Standard and colloquial Arabic جعلني أضحك – “You made me laugh”
Conclusion
Causative constructions in Arabic rely heavily on the use of derived verb forms (especially Form II) to indicate that one person or thing is causing another to perform an action. This is a key feature of Arabic’s rich morphological system, contrasting with English’s reliance on auxiliary verbs. Other forms, like Form IV and Form X, also play a role in expressing causativity, though with different nuances.
