Forming Causatives with '-aunu'
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use the '-aunu' suffix to turn a standard verb into a causative, meaning you are causing someone else to do the action.
- Add '-aunu' to the root of most verbs: 'padh' (read) becomes 'padhaunu' (to teach/make read).
- If the verb ends in a vowel, you may need to insert a consonant like 'w' or 'y' before '-aunu'.
- The subject of the causative sentence is the one causing the action, not the one performing it.
Causative Formation Table
| Simple Verb | Causative Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
|
padh (read)
|
padhaunu
|
to teach
|
|
ro (cry)
|
ruwaunu
|
to make cry
|
|
khel (play)
|
khelaunu
|
to entertain
|
|
lekh (write)
|
lekhaunu
|
to have written
|
|
kha (eat)
|
khuwaunu
|
to feed
|
|
su (sleep)
|
sutaunu
|
to put to sleep
|
Meanings
The '-aunu' suffix transforms a simple verb into a causative verb, indicating that the subject is compelling, requesting, or enabling another person to perform the action.
Direct Causation
Forcing or instructing someone to perform an action.
“मैले उसलाई काम गराएँ।”
“शिक्षकले विद्यार्थीलाई लेख्न लगाउनुभयो।”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subject + Object + Verb-aunu
|
मैले उसलाई खुवाएँ
|
|
Negative
|
Subject + Object + Verb-aunu + negative
|
मैले उसलाई खुवाइनँ
|
|
Question
|
के + Subject + Object + Verb-aunu?
|
के तपाईंले उसलाई खुवाउनुभयो?
|
|
Past
|
Verb-aunu + past tense
|
मैले उसलाई पढाएँ
|
|
Future
|
Verb-aunu + future tense
|
मैले उसलाई पढाउनेछु
|
|
Imperative
|
Verb-aunu + command
|
उसलाई पढाऊ!
|
Espectro de formalidade
कृपया उसलाई यो काम गर्न लगाउनुहोस्। (Workplace)
उसलाई यो काम गर्न लगाऊ। (Workplace)
उसलाई यो काम गर्न लाऊ। (Workplace)
त्यसलाई यो काम गरा त। (Workplace)
Causative Concept Map
Action
- padhaunu to teach
Feeling
- ruwaunu to make cry
Exemplos por nível
मैले उसलाई पढाएँ।
I taught him.
आमाले खुवाउनुभयो।
Mother fed (the child).
उसले हँसाउँछ।
He makes (people) laugh.
मैले सुताएँ।
I put (him) to sleep.
के तपाईंले काम गराउनुभयो?
Did you get the work done?
उसले मलाई रुवाउँछ।
He makes me cry.
शिक्षकले लेख्न लगाउनुभयो।
The teacher made (us) write.
मैले उसलाई बोलाएँ।
I called him.
मैले मेरो घर रंगाएँ।
I had my house painted.
उसले मलाई दौडाउन लगायो।
He made me run.
के तपाईंले फोटो खिचाउनुभयो?
Did you get the photo taken?
उसले मलाई पर्खाउँछ।
He makes me wait.
मैले उसलाई यो काम गर्न बाध्य गराएँ।
I forced him to do this work.
सरकारले नियम परिवर्तन गरायो।
The government caused the rules to change.
उसले मलाई धेरै सोच्न बाध्य बनायो।
He made me think a lot.
मैले उसलाई माफी माग्न लगाएँ।
I made him apologize.
उसको व्यवहारले मलाई सोच्न बाध्य तुल्यायो।
His behavior compelled me to think.
मैले उसलाई सत्य स्वीकार गर्न लगाएँ।
I made him accept the truth.
उसले मलाई आफ्नो विचार परिवर्तन गरायो।
He caused me to change my opinion.
प्रशासनले सबैलाई नियम पालना गरायो।
The administration made everyone follow the rules.
उसको भाषणले जनतालाई विद्रोह गर्न उक्सायो।
His speech incited the people to rebel.
मैले उसलाई आफ्नो गल्ती महसुस गराएँ।
I made him realize his mistake.
उसले मलाई यो जटिल समस्या समाधान गरायो।
He made me solve this complex problem.
के तपाईंले उसलाई आफ्नो कुरा बुझाउन सक्नुभयो?
Were you able to make him understand your point?
Fácil de confundir
Learners confuse the simple transitive verb with the causative form.
Erros comuns
म पढाउँछु (I read)
म पढाउँछु (I teach)
उसले खान्छ (He eats)
उसले खुवाउँछ (He feeds)
मैले सुतेँ (I slept)
मैले सुताएँ (I put to sleep)
उसले रुन्छ (He cries)
उसले रुवाउँछ (He makes cry)
मैले उसलाई लेखेँ (I wrote him)
मैले उसलाई लेखाएँ (I made him write)
के तिमीले काम गर्यौ? (Did you work?)
के तिमीले काम गरायौ? (Did you get work done?)
उसले मलाई दौड्यो (He ran me)
उसले मलाई दौडायो (He made me run)
मैले उसलाई जान लगाएँ (I made him go)
मैले उसलाई पठाएँ (I sent him)
उसले मलाई सोच्न लगायो (He made me think)
उसले मलाई सोच्न बाध्य बनायो (He forced me to think)
मैले उसलाई बुझाएँ (I understood him)
मैले उसलाई बुझाएँ (I made him understand)
मैले उसलाई मर्न लगाएँ (I made him die)
मैले उसलाई मार्न लगाएँ (I made him kill)
उसले मलाई हाँस्न लगायो (He made me laugh)
उसले मलाई हँसायो (He made me laugh)
मैले उसलाई आउन लगाएँ (I made him come)
मैले उसलाई बोलाएँ (I called him)
Padrões de frases
मैले ___ लाई ___ गराएँ।
Real World Usage
मैले रिपोर्ट लेखाएँ।
Practice
Smart Tips
Always use 'lai' for the person.
Pronúncia
Suffix stress
The stress usually falls on the syllable before '-aunu'.
Question
गराउनुभयो? ↑
Rising intonation for yes/no questions.
Memorize
Mnemônico
Think of 'aunu' as 'a-new' action—you are starting a new action for someone else.
Associação visual
Imagine yourself holding a remote control. When you press a button, someone else starts moving. That remote is the '-aunu' suffix.
Rhyme
Add 'aunu' to the end, to make your friend a new trend.
Story
Ram wants to read. I give him a book. I am the teacher. I 'padhaunu' (teach) Ram. Ram is now reading because of me.
Word Web
Desafio
Spend 5 minutes today describing 3 things you made someone else do (e.g., 'I made my brother clean the room').
Notas culturais
Causatives are often used to show respect by using the honorific 'hunu' suffix.
Derived from Sanskrit causative structures.
Iniciadores de conversa
तपाईंले कसलाई के गर्न लगाउनुभयो?
Temas para diário
Erros comuns
Test Yourself
मैले उसलाई ___ (read).
Score: /1
Exercicios praticos
1 exercisesमैले उसलाई ___ (read).
Score: /1
Perguntas frequentes (1)
Mostly, but watch for vowel changes.
Scaffolded Practice
1
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Hacer + infinitive
Suffix vs. auxiliary verb.
Faire + infinitive
Auxiliary vs. suffix.
Lassen + infinitive
Auxiliary verb.
Seru/saseru
Japanese has more complex conjugation.
Form IV/II
Internal vowel change vs. suffix.
Shi/rang
No morphology.
