Japanese Verb Course | Marshall's Site

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Marshall

Verb Course

Lesson 6: Transitive Verb & Intransitive Verb

In this lesson, I will teach you Intransitive Verb(自じ動どう詞し) and Transitive Verb(他た動どう詞し) in Japanese.

What are 自じ動どう詞し and 他た動どう詞し？

自じ動どう詞し is just like intransitive verb in English.
A verb that does not require a direct object is an “Intransitive verb”.
The action or state identified by an intransitive verb relates only to the subject of a sentence.

自じ動どう詞し emphasizes the state and doesn’t need a direct object. Besides, when we use 自じ動どう詞し， the listener will only know something happened, but he/she won’t know what caused this happen.

他た動どう詞し is just like transitive verb in English.
A verb that requires a direct object is a “Transitive verb”.
It usually expresses an action in which the activity is directed towards someone or something, as indicated by a direct object. Transitive verbs take subjects, and direct objects (receiver of the action marked by the particle を).

他た動どう詞し emphasizes the action and needs a direct object. Besides, When we use 他た動どう詞し， the listener will not only know something happened, but he/she will know what caused this happen. (If the subject is eliminated, then the subject will be the speaker.)

Please look at the example below.

火ひが消きえた。
The fire has been put out.

（私わたしは）火ひを消けした。
I have put out the fire.

In the first example, we don’t know who put out the fire, maybe it’s been put out by the speaker, maybe it’s because of the wind.
But in the second example, we know that it’s the speaker who put out the fire.

How can I know a verb is a 自じ動どう詞し or 他た動どう詞し?

There isn’t a rule you can use directly.
But I will help you by grouping the verbs.
There are four groups.

Group	Examples
自じ動どう詞し only. (there isn’t another verb with the same kanji to act like a 他た動どう詞し)	いる(there is..) ある(have) 咲さく(to bloom) 行いく(to go) 来くる(to come) 寝ねる(to go to sleep) 泣なく(to cry) 眠ねむる(to sleep)
他た動どう詞し only.(there isn’t another verb with the same kanji to act like a 自じ動どう詞し)	買かう（to buy）売うる（to sell）話はなす（to talk）聞きく（to ask, to listen）読よむ（to read）書かく（to write）見みる（to see）打うつ（to hit）思おもう（to think）
自じ他た動どう詞し（can be used as both自じ動どう詞し and 他た動どう詞し）	吹ふく（to blow）開ひらく（to open）笑わらう（to laugh）増ます（to increase）閉とじる（to close）
自じ他た動どう詞しペア（a pair that has the same kanji can be used as 自じ動どう詞し and 他た動どう詞し）	（1）all verbs that has す in the end is 他た動どう詞し. and the verb with the same kanji but has る in the end is 自じ動どう詞し. 揺ゆらす・揺ゆれる、鳴ならす・鳴なる、散ちらす・散ちる（2）most of the type-two verbs (aka ichidan verb) are 他た動どう詞し. and the type-one (aka godan verb) verbs with the same kanji are 自じ動どう詞し. 始はじめる・始はじまる、付つける・付つく、閉しめる・閉しまる（3）most of the type-two verbs that has れる in the end are 自じ動どう詞し(exception is 入いれる， which is a 他た動どう詞し). and the type-one verbs with the same kanji are 他た動どう詞し. 分わかれる・分わかつ、放はなれる・放はなつ、倒たおれる・倒たおす（4）verbs(has む、める in the end) that the kanji can be used as an adjective are often 他た動どう詞し. 悲かなしい・悲かなしむ、楽たのしい・楽たのしむ、高たかい・高たかめる、強つよい・強つよめる

How can I make sentences using 自じ動どう詞し and 他た動どう詞し？

If you want to know the difference between は and が, here is a lesson to help you.

Type	Examples
自じ動どう詞し: Subject + は/が＋ Verb.	ベルが鳴なった。 The bell rang. 彼かれは死しんだ。 He died. 彼女かのじょは泣ないている。 She is crying. ゲームが始はじまった。 The game started.
他た動どう詞し: Subject + は/が＋ Object + を + Verb.	私わたしは音楽おんがくを聴きいてる。 I’m listening to music. 彼かれは映えい画がを観みた。 He watched the movie. 彼女かのじょが本ほんを読よんでいる。 She is reading the book. 私わたしはドアを開あけた。 I opened the door.