Граматична тема

Causative Verbs (-at/-et, -tat/-tet)

In English we often say “I got a haircut” or “I fixed my car,” even when a barber or mechanic actually did the work. Hungarian has a special causative verb form for this idea. It means “to make, have, get, or allow someone else to do an action.”

This form is created by adding -at/-et or -tat/-tet to the verb stem, depending on vowel harmony and the shape of the verb.

1. Choosing the suffix

  • -at / -et is added to one-syllable words, except those ending in vowel + -t, and to multi-syllable words ending in consonant + -t.
    • ír (to write) -> írat (to have/make someone write)
    • mos (to wash) -> mosat (to have something washed)
    • választ (to choose) -> választat (to make someone choose)
  • -tat / -tet is added to most multi-syllable words and to one-syllable words ending in vowel + -t.
    • olvas (to read) -> olvastat (to make/have someone read)
    • tanul (to study) -> tanultat (to make someone study)
    • fűt (to heat) -> fűttet (to have something heated)

2. Exceptions and special forms

  • alszik (to sleep) -> altat (to put someone to sleep)
  • eszik (to eat) -> etet (to feed)
  • iszik (to drink) -> itat (to give someone a drink)
  • fürdik (to bathe) -> fürdet (to bathe someone)

3. Syntax: who performs the action?
If you want to say exactly who you make do the action, the performer takes -val/-vel (“with/by whom”), while the object itself takes the accusative -t.

  • A nagymama kijavíttatta a hibákat a gyerekekkel. - Grandmother had the children correct the mistakes. Literally: she had the mistakes corrected by/with the children.

Reading Practice

  • Felmosatom a padlót. [I will have the floor washed/mopped.]
  • Már megvarrattad az új ruhát? [Have you already had the new dress sewn?]
  • Levágatom a hajamat. [I will get my hair cut.]
  • Holnap kihúzatom a fájó fogamat. [Tomorrow I will have my painful tooth pulled.]
  • Éva elaltatta a gyerekeket. [Éva put the children to sleep.]
  • A tanár megtanultatta velünk a szavakat. [The teacher made us learn the words.]
  • Az édesanyám minden héten levelet írat velem a nagymamának. [My mother makes me write a letter to grandmother every week.]
  • Marika minden este angol nyelvű könyvet olvastat a fiával. [Marika has her son read an English-language book every evening.]
  • A vámos kinyittatja a bőröndöt. [The customs officer has the suitcase opened.]
  • A turisták elvitetik a csomagjaikat a szállodába. [The tourists have their luggage taken to the hotel.]