Language/Halh-mongolian/Grammar/Causative-Verbs
Causative verbs are an important aspect of Halh Mongolian grammar. In this lesson, we will cover how to express the idea of making something happen or causing someone to do something using causative verbs. This lesson is part of the "Complete 0 to A1 Halh Mongolian Course", and assumes that you have a basic understanding of Halh Mongolian grammar and vocabulary.
What are causative verbs?
Causative verbs are verbs that express the idea of causing something to happen or causing someone to do something. In English, you might use the verb "make" or "let" to express causation. For example, "I made him do his homework" or "I let her borrow my car". In Halh Mongolian, causative verbs are used in a similar way to express causation.
How to form causative verbs
To form a causative verb in Halh Mongolian, you use the auxiliary verb "хэл" (hel) followed by the verb stem. The verb stem is the part of the verb that is left when you remove the infinitive ending "-х" (kh). For example, the verb "сонгох" (songokh) means "to choose". The verb stem is "сонго" (songo). To form the causative form, you add "хэл" (hel) before the verb stem, like this: "хэлсонго" (khelsongo). This means "to make/let choose".
Here are some more examples:
| Halh Mongolian | Pronunciation | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| амьдрал сараах | am'dral sarakh | to make/let live a life |
| гүүрлэх | gürlekh | to make/let turn |
| оролцох | oroltsokh | to make/let enter |
How to use causative verbs
Causative verbs in Halh Mongolian are used in two different ways: as transitive verbs and as intransitive verbs.
As a transitive verb, causative verbs take an object. The subject of the sentence is the person or thing causing the action, and the object is the person or thing being caused to do something. The causative verb comes first, followed by the object, and then the infinitive verb (in its verb stem form). For example:
- Бид хүүхэдүүдийг урлан гэж хэлсэн. (Bid hüühedüüdiig urlan gej khelsen.) - We made the children turn.
- Одоо ээжийг л сараах гэж хэлсэн. (Odo eejiig l sarakh gej khelsen.) - Now I will make my mother live a good life.
As an intransitive verb, causative verbs do not take an object. In this case, the subject of the sentence is the person or thing causing the action, and the verb expresses the idea of causing something to happen. The sentence structure is similar to that of transitive verbs, but there is no object. For example:
- Би маш насыг хоол болгох гэж энэ үеийн ажлын хуваарийг гаргасан. (Bi mash nasyg hool bolgokh gej ene üein ajliin khuaariig gargasan.) - I made a lot of food for this year's work schedule.
Tips for using causative verbs
Here are some tips to remember when using causative verbs in Halh Mongolian:
- Be careful with the word order. In both transitive and intransitive sentences, the causative verb comes before the infinitive verb, but intransitive sentences do not have an object.
- Use the auxiliary verb "хэл" (hel) to form the causative verb.
- Remember that causative verbs express the idea of causing something to happen or causing someone to do something.
Practice
Here are some sentences for you to practice using causative verbs:
- Та хөндийг гүүрлэх гэж юу хэлж байна вэ? (Ta höndiig gürlekh gej yu khelj baina ve?) What are you saying to make the dog turn?
- Бид эцэст нь ёслолд гарлаа. Харин үүнийг тэвчихсэнгүй. (Bid etsest n ësolold garlaa. Kharin üüniig tevchikhsengui.) We went out last night. We didn't make him/her come along.
- Хүүхэд татдаг эсвэл сордогч болдог. (Hüühed tatdag esvel sordogch boldog.) Children either make progress, or fall into delinquency.
Conclusion
Causative verbs in Halh Mongolian are an important aspect of the language. They are used to express the idea of causing something to happen or causing someone to do something. By using the auxiliary verb "хэл" (hel) to form the causative verb, you can create sentences that express causation in Halh Mongolian. Remember to keep the word order in mind and practice using causative verbs with different types of sentences.