B1 · Intermediate Chapter 36

Causative Verbs (አ-)

1 Total Rules
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of influence by learning how to make others perform actions in Amharic.

  • Identify the 'a-' prefix for causative verbs.
  • Transform intransitive verbs into causative actions.
  • Construct sentences where you cause someone else to act.
Influence actions with the power of 'a-'.

What You'll Learn

Making someone do something. We explore the 'a-' prefix and its role in changing verb transitivity.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use the 'a-' prefix to change a simple verb into a causative verb in a coherent sentence.

Tips & Tricks (1)

💡

Check the root

Always find the base verb first. If you know the base, adding 'a-' is easy.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Causative Prefix 'a-'

Key Vocabulary (5)

አስረከበ (asrekebä) to cause someone to hand over/deliver አበላ (abela) to feed (cause to eat) አነሳ (anesa) to cause to lift/raise አስተኛ (astenya) to put to sleep (cause to sleep) አሰማ (asema) to make someone hear/broadcast

Real-World Preview

coffee

At the Restaurant

Review Summary

  • a- + Verb Root

Common Mistakes

You must use the causative form 'አበላ' instead of the simple verb 'በላ' when you are the one causing the eating.

Wrong: እኔ በላሁ ልጁን (I ate the child - incorrect usage)
Correct: እኔ ልጁን አበላሁት (I fed the child)

Some verbs require the 'አስ-' variant for causation, which we will explore in the next chapter. For now, stick to 'አ-' for simple causative verbs.

Wrong: እሱ አሄደ (He caused to walk - incorrect root)
Correct: እሱ አስሄደ (He caused to walk)

Sometimes the root changes slightly; be careful with vowel shifts when adding the prefix.

Wrong: እሷ አተኛች (She caused to sleep)
Correct: እሷ አስተኛች (She put to sleep)

Rules in This Chapter (1)

1

Causative Prefix 'a-'

B1

Next Steps

You've mastered the first step of causation! Keep practicing, and you'll be speaking like a native in no time.

Write 5 sentences using causative verbs describing your daily chores.

Continue to: Double Causatives (አስ-)

Quick Practice (3)

Which is the correct causative of 'säbära'?

Choose the correct form:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
The prefix 'a-' creates the causative.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Causative Prefix 'a-'

Fill in the blank with the causative form of 'bälla'.

እኔ ልጁን ___።

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: b
The causative of 'bälla' is 'abälla', and it needs an object suffix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Causative Prefix 'a-'

Correct the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

እኔ መኪናውን ጠገንኩ። (I had the car fixed)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: a
You need the causative prefix 'a-' and the object suffix.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Causative Prefix 'a-'

Score: /3

Common Questions (2)

Most verbs can take it, but some irregular ones have special forms.
No, it can also mean 'to let' or 'to facilitate'.
Previous Chapter
Passive Voice (ተ-)
Next Chapter
Double Causatives (አስ-)
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