Language/Urdu/Grammar/Passive-Voice-and-Causative-Verbs

Urdu → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Passive Voice and Causative Verbs

Welcome to this engaging lesson on Urdu grammar! Today, we’ll embark on an exciting journey into the realms of Passive Voice and Causative Verbs. Understanding these two concepts is essential for enriching your Urdu language skills and making your sentences more versatile and expressive.

Why is this important? In any language, the way we structure our sentences can change the meaning and focus of what we want to convey. The passive voice allows us to emphasize the action or the recipient of the action rather than the doer. Causative verbs, on the other hand, enable us to express the idea of having someone else perform an action on our behalf, expanding our ability to communicate complex thoughts clearly.

In this lesson, we'll break things down into manageable sections:

1. Understanding Passive Voice

• Definition and Importance

• Formation of Passive Voice in Urdu

• Examples of Passive Voice

2. Understanding Causative Verbs

• Definition and Importance

• Formation of Causative Verbs in Urdu

• Examples of Causative Verbs

3. Exercises and Practice Scenarios

• Practical exercises to apply what you’ve learned

• Detailed solutions and explanations

Let's dive in!

Understanding Passive Voice

Definition and Importance

The Passive Voice is a grammatical construction where the subject of the sentence is acted upon by the verb rather than performing the action. For instance, in English, "The book was read by the student" emphasizes the book rather than the student.

In Urdu, using the passive voice can help you shift the focus of your sentences, making it easier to highlight what is happening rather than who is doing it.

Formation of Passive Voice in Urdu

To form the passive voice in Urdu, we generally follow these steps:

1. Identify the active voice structure (Subject-Verb-Object).

2. Rearrange to Object-Verb (in past participle form)-by the Subject (if necessary).

3. Use the appropriate auxiliary verb "ہونا" (hona - to be) according to tense and subject.

Here are some examples to illustrate this:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
لڑکا کتاب پڑھتا ہے	Larka kitaab parhta hai	The boy reads the book
کتاب لڑکے کے ذریعے پڑھی جاتی ہے	Kitaab larke ke zariye padhi jaati hai	The book is read by the boy
وہ کھانا بناتی ہے	Woh khana banati hai	She cooks food
کھانا اس کے ذریعے بنایا جاتا ہے	Khana us ke zariye banaya jaata hai	The food is cooked by her
استاد نے سبق سکھایا	Ustaad ne sabaq sikhaya	The teacher taught the lesson
سبق طلبہ کے ذریعے سکھایا گیا	Sabaq talba ke zariye sikhaya gaya	The lesson was taught by the students
انہوں نے کھیل کھیلا	Unhoon ne khel kheela	They played the game
کھیل ان کے ذریعے کھیلا گیا	Khel un ke zariye kheela gaya	The game was played by them
اس نے کام کیا	Us ne kaam kiya	He did the work
کام اس کے ذریعے کیا گیا	Kaam us ke zariye kiya gaya	The work was done by him

Examples of Passive Voice

Let’s look at more examples to solidify our understanding:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
اس نے خط لکھا	Us ne khat likha	He wrote the letter
خط لکھا گیا	Khat likha gaya	The letter was written
لڑکی نے گانا گایا	Larki ne gaana gaya	The girl sang the song
گانا گایا گیا	Gaana gaya gaya	The song was sung
انہوں نے گھر بنایا	Unhoon ne ghar banaya	They built the house
گھر بنایا گیا	Ghar banaya gaya	The house was built
والد نے چائے بنائی	Walid ne chai banai	The father made tea
چائے بنائی گئی	Chai banai gayi	The tea was made
اس نے تصویر کھینچی	Us ne tasveer kheenchii	She took the picture
تصویر کھینچی گئی	Tasveer kheenchii gayi	The picture was taken

Understanding Causative Verbs

Definition and Importance

Causative Verbs are used to express actions that are caused to happen by someone else. This means rather than doing the action yourself, you are allowing or causing someone else to do it.

In Urdu, causative verbs are significant as they allow speakers to convey a sense of delegation or influence, which is crucial in both formal and informal contexts.

Formation of Causative Verbs in Urdu

To form causative verbs in Urdu, we typically modify the base verb by adding a suffix that indicates causation. The most common suffix is "-انا" (-ana).

Here’s how it works:

1. Identify the verb you want to change into a causative form.

2. Add the suffix "-انا" (-ana) to the verb root.

3. Conjugate the new verb according to tense and subject.

For example:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
وہ سوتا ہے	Woh sota hai	He sleeps
وہ اسے سونے دیتا ہے	Woh use sone deta hai	He lets him sleep
لڑکی کھانا کھاتی ہے	Larki khana khati hai	The girl eats food
وہ لڑکے کو کھانا کھانے دیتی ہے	Woh larke ko khana khane deti hai	She lets the boy eat food
استاد پڑھاتے ہیں	Ustaad parhatee hain	The teachers teach
وہ طلبہ کو پڑھنے دیتے ہیں	Woh talba ko parhne dete hain	They let the students study
وہ کھیلتا ہے	Woh khelta hai	He plays
وہ بچوں کو کھیلنے دیتا ہے	Woh bachon ko khelne deta hai	He lets the children play
وہ لکھتا ہے	Woh likhta hai	He writes
وہ اس کو لکھنے دیتا ہے	Woh us ko likhne deta hai	He lets him write

Examples of Causative Verbs

Let’s further explore the concept with more examples:

Urdu	Pronunciation	English
وہ گانا گاتا ہے	Woh gaana gata hai	He sings a song
وہ اسے گانا گانے دیتا ہے	Woh use gaana gane deta hai	He lets him sing a song
وہ پڑھتا ہے	Woh parhta hai	He reads
وہ اسے پڑھنے دیتا ہے	Woh use parhne deta hai	He lets him read
وہ لکھتا ہے	Woh likhta hai	He writes
وہ اس کو لکھنے دیتا ہے	Woh us ko likhne deta hai	He lets him write
وہ کھیلتا ہے	Woh khelta hai	He plays
وہ اسے کھیلنے دیتا ہے	Woh use khelne deta hai	He lets him play
وہ کام کرتا ہے	Woh kaam karta hai	He works
وہ اس کو کام کرنے دیتا ہے	Woh us ko kaam karne deta hai	He lets him work

Exercises and Practice Scenarios

Now that we've covered the essential concepts of passive voice and causative verbs, it's time to put your knowledge to the test! Here are some exercises for you to practice.

Exercise 1: Passive Voice Transformation

Transform the following active sentences into passive voice.

1. لڑکا کتاب پڑھتا ہے (The boy reads the book)

2. وہ کھانا بناتی ہے (She cooks food)

3. استاد نے سبق سکھایا (The teacher taught the lesson)

4. انہوں نے کھیل کھیلا (They played the game)

5. اس نے کام کیا (He did the work)

Solution:

1. کتاب لڑکے کے ذریعے پڑھی جاتی ہے

2. کھانا اس کے ذریعے بنایا جاتا ہے

3. سبق طلبہ کے ذریعے سکھایا گیا

4. کھیل ان کے ذریعے کھیلا گیا

5. کام اس کے ذریعے کیا گیا

Exercise 2: Identify the Passive Voice

Identify whether the following sentences are in passive voice or active voice.

1. خط لکھا گیا۔ (The letter was written.)

2. وہ گانا گاتی ہے۔ (She sings a song.)

3. کھانا بنایا گیا۔ (The food was made.)

4. وہ کتاب پڑھتا ہے۔ (He reads the book.)

5. کھیل کھیلا گیا۔ (The game was played.)

Solution:

1. Passive Voice

2. Active Voice

3. Passive Voice

4. Active Voice

5. Passive Voice

Exercise 3: Causative Verbs Transformation

Transform the following sentences using causative verbs.

1. وہ سوتا ہے (He sleeps)

2. وہ پڑھتا ہے (He reads)

3. وہ لکھتا ہے (He writes)

4. وہ کھیلتا ہے (He plays)

5. وہ کام کرتا ہے (He works)

Solution:

1. وہ اسے سونے دیتا ہے

2. وہ اسے پڑھنے دیتا ہے

3. وہ اس کو لکھنے دیتا ہے

4. وہ اسے کھیلنے دیتا ہے

5. وہ اس کو کام کرنے دیتا ہے

Exercise 4: Fill in the Blanks

Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in causative form.

1. وہ لڑکے کو ________ دیتا ہے۔ (He lets the boy ____)

2. وہ اسے ________ دیتی ہے۔ (She lets him ____)

3. وہ بچوں کو ________ دیتا ہے۔ (He lets the children ____)

4. وہ طلبہ کو ________ دیتا ہے۔ (He lets the students ____)

5. وہ اس کو ________ دیتا ہے۔ (He lets him ____)

Solution:

1. کھیلنے

2. پڑھنے

3. کھیلنے

4. پڑھنے

5. لکھنے

Exercise 5: Sentence Construction

Create passive voice sentences using the following subjects.

1. لڑکی (girl)

2. استاد (teacher)

3. بچے (children)

4. خاندان (family)

5. دوست (friend)

Solution:

1. لڑکی کو سکھایا گیا۔

2. سبق استاد کے ذریعے پڑھایا گیا۔

3. بچوں کو کھیلنے دیا گیا۔

4. گھر خاندان کے ذریعے بنایا گیا۔

5. دوست کو بلایا گیا۔

Exercise 6: Active to Passive Voice

Convert the following sentences from active to passive voice.

1. وہ کتاب خریدتا ہے۔ (He buys a book.)

2. لڑکی نے گانا گایا۔ (The girl sang a song.)

3. انہوں نے کھانا پکایا۔ (They cooked food.)

4. وہ خط لکھتا ہے۔ (He writes a letter.)

5. استاد نے طلبہ کو سکھایا۔ (The teacher taught the students.)

Solution:

1. کتاب اس کے ذریعے خریدی جاتی ہے۔

2. گانا لڑکی کے ذریعے گایا گیا۔

3. کھانا ان کے ذریعے پکایا گیا۔

4. خط اس کے ذریعے لکھا جاتا ہے۔

5. طلبہ کو استاد کے ذریعے سکھایا گیا۔

Exercise 7: Identify Causative Verbs

Identify the causative verbs in the following sentences.

1. وہ اسے کھانے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets him eat.)

2. وہ لڑکے کو سونے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets the boy sleep.)

3. وہ بچوں کو کھیلنے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets the children play.)

4. وہ اسے پڑھنے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets him read.)

5. وہ اس کو لکھنے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets him write.)

Solution:

1. دیتا ہے

2. دیتا ہے

3. دیتا ہے

4. دیتا ہے

5. دیتا ہے

Exercise 8: Causative Sentences

Write sentences using causative verbs for the following actions.

1. to eat

2. to play

3. to read

4. to write

5. to sleep

Solution:

1. وہ اسے کھانے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets him eat.)

2. وہ بچوں کو کھیلنے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets the children play.)

3. وہ اسے پڑھنے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets him read.)

4. وہ اس کو لکھنے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets him write.)

5. وہ لڑکے کو سونے دیتا ہے۔ (He lets the boy sleep.)

Exercise 9: Passive Voice Explanation

Explain why the following sentences are in passive voice.

1. خط لکھا گیا۔ (The letter was written.)

2. گانا گایا گیا۔ (The song was sung.)

3. کھانا پکایا گیا۔ (The food was cooked.)

Solution:

1. In this sentence, the focus is on the letter, which is the recipient of the action rather than the doer.

2. Here, the emphasis is on the song being sung, not who sang it.

3. The emphasis is on the food being cooked, indicating the action rather than the person doing it.

Exercise 10: Mixed Exercises

Mix and match the following sentences, creating both active and passive forms.

1. وہ کھیلتا ہے۔ (He plays.)

2. بچے نے چائے پی۔ (The boy drank tea.)

3. گھر بنایا گیا۔ (The house was built.)

4. وہ پڑھتا ہے۔ (He reads.)

5. استاد نے سبق سکھایا۔ (The teacher taught the lesson.)

Solution:

1. وہ کھیلتا ہے۔ (Active)

کھیل اس کے ذریعے کھیلا جاتا ہے۔ (Passive)

2. بچے نے چائے پی۔ (Active)

چائے بچے کے ذریعے پی گئی۔ (Passive)

3. گھر بنایا گیا۔ (Passive)

وہ گھر بناتا ہے۔ (Active)

4. وہ پڑھتا ہے۔ (Active)

کتاب اس کے ذریعے پڑھی جاتی ہے۔ (Passive)

5. استاد نے سبق سکھایا۔ (Active)

سبق استاد کے ذریعے سکھایا گیا۔ (Passive)

Congratulations on completing this lesson! By mastering the passive voice and causative verbs, you’ve taken a significant step toward becoming proficient in Urdu. Keep practicing, and soon you will be able to express your thoughts more fluently!

Table of Contents - Urdu Course - 0 to A1

• Course Presentation

  ---

Introduction to Urdu Script

• Urdu Alphabet
• Connecting Letters

  ---

Basic Vocabulary

• Greetings and Introductions
• Numbers and Counting
• Days of the Week and Months

  ---

Basic Sentence Structure

• Nouns and Pronouns
• Verbs and Tenses
• Adjectives and Adverbs

  ---

Everyday Vocabulary

• Colors and Shapes
• Food and Drinks
• Clothing and Accessories

  ---

Forming Questions and Negations

• Question Words
• Negation

  ---

Travel and Transportation

• Modes of Transportation
• Directions and Locations

  ---

Urdu Culture and Traditions

• Festivals and Celebrations
• Urdu Literature and Poetry

Sources

• INDICATIONS OF URDU TETRAVALENT VERBS HAVING ...
• Active and Passive Voice Rules in Urdu with Examples | Active and ...

Other Lessons

• Case and Sentence Structure
• How to Use Be
• Complex Sentence Structure
• Verbs and Tenses
• Joining Sounds to Form Words
• Introduction to Urdu Alphabets
• Pronouns
• Plurals and Gender
• Conditional Tenses
• Conditional Mood