About 70% of verbs in Pashto are compound verbs. Although they're incredibly common, they can also be very confusing for language learners. This article aims to clear up some of the confusion by **explaining compound verbs visually, as two kinds of simple machines**.
<p>If you find this article helpful you can find <em>much more</em> in the <a href="https://grammar.lingdocs.com/">LingDocs Pashto Grammar</a> and <a href="https://dictionary.lingdocs.com/">LingDocs Pashto Dictionary</a>.</p>
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Stative compounds are about "making" something something. You can think of these verbs as **transformer machines**. They *take an object* and do something that transforms it, or puts it in a different state.
Dynamic compounds are about "doing" something. Think of these as an **action machines**. They *have a built-in object* which is an action or activity that they do.
From the diagrams and examples we can see that these two kinds of compounds behave quite differently. The most obvious difference is that:
- stative compounds take an outside object
- dynamic compounds have an object included inside them
We will see more differences when we look at each kind of compound in detail. Once we understand the unique behaviors of each type of machine, all the confusion about different compound verbs behaving differently will disappear.
## How do the two kinds of compounds work?
### 1. Stative compounds
Stative compounds take the complement part of the verb and apply it to an object so that the object is changed or put in a different state.
Transitive stative compounds always use use the word <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawul", e: "to make" }} /> to change an object, or put it in a different state. In other words, they take an object and "make it ____".
The <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawul" }} /> verb used by these compounds will <em>never, ever, ever take a <IW w={{ p: "و", f: "óo" }} /> prefix</em>.
info={getVerbInfo({"i":10247,"ts":1579015359582,"p":"کول","f":"kawul","e":"to make ____ ____ (as in \"He's making me angry.\")","c":"v. trans. irreg. stat.","ssp":"کړ","ssf":"kR","prp":"کړل","prf":"kRul","pprtp":"کړی","pprtf":"kúRey","noOo":true})}
#### When the complement ends in a consonant, it often fuses together with کول
Let's have a look at the verb <IW w={{ p: "بندول", f: "bandawúl", e: "to close", a: "" }} />.
The adjective/complement <IW w={{ p: "بند", f: "band", e: "closed" }} /> ends in a consonant, so in the <Link to="/blog/pashto-verbs-master-chart#two-aspects-in-pashto-verbs">imperfective aspect</Link>, the <IW w={{ p: "ک", f: "k" }} /> from <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawul" }} /> gets dropped and the two words get fused together.
e: "I've closed the doors (and they're shut now)",
},
},
],
]}</TensesChart>
</details>
Notice how when the words are stuck together, it's impossible to inflect the adjective.
In the perfective aspect and in the perfect tense however, the words always break apart and stay seperate. Then the adjective must be inflected according to the object if possible.
#### Some adjectives will get crunched when fusing with کول
Many adjectives get crunched into a shorter version when they fuse together with <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawúl", e: "to make" }} /> in the imperfective forms.
For example if we use the irregular adjective <IW w={{ p: "پوخ", f: "pokh", e: "cooked" }} />, we know that the inflections are:
If we are cooking <IW w={{ p: "الوګان", f: "aloogaan", e: "potatoes" }} />, then <IW w={{ p: "پوخ", f: "pokh" }} /> will inflect to <IW w={{ p: "پاخه", f: "paakhu" }} /> because potatoes are masculine plural.
The most important thing to know about these verbs is that **they don't take any outside object**. **The object of the sentence is already included in the compound**. The object will always be a noun, which will be some sort of action or activity to be done.
For instance, if you have a sentence or a clause with the verb <IW w={{ p: "کار کول", f: "kaar kawúl", e: "to work" }} /> then <IW w={{ p: "کار", f: "kaar", e: "work" }} /> will *always* be the object, and the *only* object. This makes things simpler especially when it comes to past tense.
#### They use <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawul", e: "to do" }} />
While stative compounds used <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawul", e: "to make" }} />, dynamic compounds use <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawul", e: "to do" }} />. These may look like the same verb, but they're not! They mean different things, behave differently, and in the perfective forms they diverge.
info={getVerbInfo({"i":10246,"ts":1527812752,"p":"کول","f":"kawul","e":"to do (an action or activity)","c":"v. trans. irreg. dyn.","ssp":"وکړ","ssf":"óokR","prp":"وکړل","prf":"óokRul","pprtp":"کړی","pprtf":"kúRey","diacExcept":true})}
With dynamic compounds, the complement and verb *never ever* get fused together. For example <IW w={{ p: "کار کول", f: "kaar kawul" }} /> can never get squished together to become <IW w={{ p: "کارول", f: "kaarawul" }} />. In fact, <IW w={{ p: "کارول", f: "kaarawul", e: "to use" }} /> is actually a completely different non-compound verb.
It's important to remember that with dynamic compounds the object is *inside the compound*, so you can't have a direct object anywhere else in the sentence or clause. But "indirect objects" are often exrpessed through words connected with prepositional phrases (sandwiches).
For example, in English we might say "I am serving my father." Father is the direct object. But in Pashto we can say:
<Word w={{
p: "زه د پلار خدمت کوم",
f: "zu du plaar khidmat kawum",
e: "I am doing my father's service",
a: "",
}} />
Here <IW w={{ p: "خدمت", f: "khidmat", e: "service" }} /> is the direct object and <IW w={{ p: "پلار", f: "plaar", e: "father" }} /> is like an indirect object, related to the verb through a prepositional phrase <IW w={{ p: "د ...", f: "du ..." }} />.
#### Other verbs can be used
With dynamic compounds other verbs like <IW w={{ p: "وهل", f: "wahul", e: "to hit" }} /> or <IW w={{ p: "خوړل", f: "khoRúl", e: "to eat" }} /> can also be used as the verb in the "action machine".
For example, the verb <IW w={{ p: "منډې وهل", f: "múnDe wahúl", e: "to run", a: "" }} />:
The object / complement in this verb is <IW w={{ p: "منډې", f: "múnDe", e: "runs" }} />, which is feminine plural. So, in the past tense the verb will *always* be conjugated 3rd person feminine plural.
<p>If you find this article helpful you can find <em>much more</em> in the <a href="https://grammar.lingdocs.com/">LingDocs Pashto Grammar</a> and <a href="https://dictionary.lingdocs.com/">LingDocs Pashto Dictionary</a>.</p>
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Remember all those weird different behaviours that we mentioned at the beginning? Once we realize there are these two different types of compound verbs, represented by two different kinds of "machines," we can see that each of the two has a distinct set of behaviours.
<td>The complement can be an adjective, noun, or adverb</td>
<td>The complement can only be a noun</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>The complement gets applied to the object</td>
<td>The complement is the object</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Does something that changes the object</td>
<td>Does an action or activity, which is the object</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Often joins the two words together if the complement ends in a consonant</td>
<td>The two words never get joined together</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>If the complement is an adjective, it inflects according to the object</td>
<td>The complement is the object, so it doesn't inflect</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
### Some verbs can be both!
Some verbs can be used either as stative or dynamic compounds. For example, with <IW w={{ p: "استري کول", f: "istree kawul", e: "to iron", a: "" }} />, you could either use it as:
- as in "to do ironing" (to do the activity of ironing)
**Ironing with the stative version**
If we say we are ironing a **shirt** (object):
<img src={stativeIroningDiagram} />
<Word w={{
p: <>ما <strong>قمیس</strong> استري کړو</>,
f: <>maa <strong>qamees</strong> istree kRo</>,
e: <>I ironed a <strong>shirt</strong></>,
}} />
In these sentences <IW w={{ p: "قمیس", f: "qamees", e: "shirt" }} /> is the object, so in the past tense the verb agrees with it (3rd person masc. singular). Also notice that the <IW w={{ p: "و", f: "óo", e: "perfective prefix" }} /> is not used.
**Ironing with the dynamic version**
If we just wanted to say that we did **ironing** (object):
<img src={dynamicIroningDiagram} />
<Word w={{
p: <>ما <strong>استري</strong> وکړه</>,
f: <>maa <strong>istree</strong> óokRa</>,
e: <>I did <strong>ironing</strong></>,
}} />
In these sentences <IW w={{ p: "استري", f: "istree", e: "ironing" }} /> is the object, so in the past tense the verb agrees with it (3rd person fem. singular).
Also notice that the <IW w={{ p: "و", f: "óo", e: "perfective prefix" }} /> <em>is</em> used. It would be wrong to wrong to say <IW w={{ p: "ما استري کړه", f: "maa istree kRa", e: "I did ironing" }} /> ❌.
<td><Word w={{ p: "ما استري وکړو ❌", f: "maa istree óokRo ❌", e: "I did ironing" }} /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><IW w={{ p: "قتل کول", f: "qátil kawul" }} /> is another example of a verb that can be used either statively or dynamically. (with or without an outside object)</p>
<td><Word w={{ p: "ما عږ کړو", f: "maa ghuG kRo", e: "I called out", a: "" }} /></td>
<td><Word w={{ p: "ما غږ وکړو", f: "maa ghuG óokRo", e: "I called out", a: "" }} /></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
To think of it differently, they can basically function as dynamic compounds with or without the <IW w={{ p: "و", f: "óo" }} /> prefix. Well, it was *almost* all perfectly logical, sorry. Language can get weird. 🤷♂️
<p style={{ color: "red" }}>EDIT: Actually, I think I figured out what's happening here and it's very logical! 🤓 Will write more here soon!</p>
## Intransitive versions
So far we've only talked about the tranisitive version of these two types of compounds/machines.
There is also an *intransitive version* of these machines, for when you are just talking about:
- something being transformed/changed (stative)
- some action happening (dynamic)
...but are not mentioning the person or thing that's *doing* the action.
Notice how with this verb, just as with <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawúl", e: "to make" }} />, there is no <IW w={{ p: "و", f: "óo", e: "perfective prefix" }} />.
All these compounds will have the same characteristics as the transitive "transformer machines" that we saw earlier. The only difference is that there's no subject pressing the button and doing the action of transforming. There's just a subject that goes through and is changed.
If a dynamic compound is made with <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawul", e: "to do" }} /> then you can also make an intransitive version of it with <IW w={{ p: "کېدل", f: "kedúl", e: "to happen", a: "" }} />. This way you will be talking about an action happening, without mentioning who was doing it.
The verb used is <IW w={{ p: "کېدل", f: "kedúl", e: "to happen", a: "" }} />, which is the intransitive equivalent of <IW w={{ p: "کول", f: "kawul", e: "to do" }} />. It *does* take a <IW w={{ p: "و", f: "óo", e: "perfective prefix" }} />
