Intransitive Verbs VS. Transitive Verbs

育つ Vs. 育てる

Last time, you tackled some advanced topics involving Japanese adjectives, such as “がくくわしいひと” and “ちかいカフェ VS. ちかくのカフェ.” Your knowledge of Japanese parts of speech is greatly increasing. In this lesson, you will also take on advanced topics in Japanese verbs.

Usage of Verbs When They Can Be Both Intransitive and Transitive

If you try to categorize intransitive verbs, there will be two groups: The first is volitional (actions with people's intention), such as “はしる: to run” and “およぐ: to swim.” The second is non-volitional (actions without people's intention), such as “く: to open,” and “ちる: to drop.” The latter group likely has equivalent transitive verbs. In English, you can use verbs like “to open” as both an intransitive and a transitive verb, e.g. “The door will open,” and “I will open the door.” However, Japanese requires you to use different forms for intransitive and transitive verbs respectively.

The Difference Between Intransitive and Transitive Verbs

Intransitive Verbs: く to open

to open: 開く
ドア は / が く / きます
Topic / Subject Intransitive Verb
The door will open.

When you walk toward an automatic door, the door automatically opens. In such a situation, the door has to be the subject set by the particle は or が, and there is no object because the door alone will move. That is to say, intransitive verbs indicate automatic or natural actions.

Transitive Verbs: ける to open

to open: 開ける
[わたし は / が] ドアを ける / けます
[Topic / Subject] Direct Object Transitive Verb
[I] will open the door.

When you open a door, needless to say, the door is opened by you. In such situations, the door has to be the object set by the particle を, and there have to be subjects because someone will open the door. That is to say, transitive verbs indicate intentional actions.

Intransitive ドア は / が(く / きます)。
Transitive ドアを(ける / けます)。

As you already know, subjects can be omitted when the context clearly tells what or who you’re referring to. In the second example, the subject: わたし is omitted. Don’t be confused by the structure.

Advanced Topic: Sentences with Some Elements

Even if you use intransitive verbs, you sometimes need to use the particle を. Take it easy. By understanding the particles’ functions, you can easily figure out the meanings of sentences.

Intransitive Verbs: る: to go out, leave, depart

電車でんしゃ は / が えき る / ます
[Topic / Subject] Location to Leave Intransitive Verb
The train will leave the station.

Transitive Verbs: す: to take out, let out, put out

[わたし は / が] 電車でんしゃ えきから す / します
[Topic / Subject] Direct Object Starting Point Transitive Verb
[I] will take the train out from the station.

The second example sounds a little weird, but he/she may be a train driver or engineer. The point here is that the particle を can appear in sentences with intransitive verbs if it doesn’t work as a direct object.

Note: In the second example above, you may have noticed that the particle から is used with えき while the particle を is used with えき in the first example. This is because using the same particles multiple times in a single sentence may cause confusion and therefore is not recommended in Japanese grammar.

[私 は / が] 電車でんしゃえきす / します。=> Wrong!

Vocabulary List: How to Distinguish Between Intransitive and Transitive Verbs

Although the multiple forms are hard to memorize, there are several patterns in the conjugations. We will show you frequently used verbs below. Please do not try to memorize them all at once, but tackle them step by step.

Pattern 1
If verbs end with -aru, they are intransitive verbs.
They become transitive verbs by replacing -aru with eru.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs
がる: to rise げる: to raise
あつまる: to gather あつめる: to collect
たかまる: to increase たかめる: to increase
つたわる: to spread, go around つたえる: to tell, inform
わる: to finish, to end  える*: to finish, end
わる: to change える: to change
かかる: to take (resources) かける: to spend, take (time)
まる: to be decided める: to decided
がる: to fall, lower, drop げる: to lower, pull down, reduce 
まる: to close める: to close
まる: to stop める: to stop
はじまる: to start はじめる: to start
がる: to bent, curve, turn げる: to bend, curve
つかる: to be found つける: to find

*える sounds a little formal and わる can be used as transitive verb as well.

Pattern 2
If verbs end with -reru, they are intransitive verbs.
They become transitive verbs by replacing -reru with su.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs
こわれる: to break こわす: to break
たおれる: to fall (to the ground), collapse たおす: to throw down, knock down
よごれる: to become dirty よごす: to make (it) dirty
Pattern 3
If verbs end with -reru, they are intransitive verbs.
They become transitive verbs by replacing -reru with ru.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs
れる: to be sold る: to sell
れる: to break, snap る: to break, snap
れる: to be cut る: to cut
れる: to be photographed, be recorded る: to take (photo), to record (video)
れる: to break る: to break
Pattern 4
If verbs end with -areru, they are intransitive verbs.
They become transitive verbs by replacing -areru with u.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs
まれる: to be born む: to give birth
Pattern 5
If verbs end with -su, they are transitive verbs.
They become intransitive verbs by replacing -su with ru.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs
うつる: to be in a photo, be projected うつす: to copy, transcribe, photograph
かえる: to go back かえす: to let a person go back
かえる: to be returned かえす: to return
る: to go out, leave, depart す(*exception): to take out, let out, put out
なおる: to be fixed, be repaired なおす: to fix, repair
なおる: to be cured, be recovered なおす: to cure, heal
のこる: to remain, stay のこす: to leave
まわる: to turn, rotate, revolve, spin まわす: to turn, rotate, spin
もどる: to be back もどす: to return
Pattern 6
If verbs end with -asu, they are transitive verbs.
They become intransitive verbs by replacing -asu with eru.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs
おくれる: to be delayed おくらす: to delay
げる: to run away, escape がす: to set … free, let …go
ぬれる: to get wet ぬらす: to wet
える: to get cold やす: to cool, to make … cold
える: to increase やす: to increase
れる: to shake らす: to sway, shake
える: to disappear す(*exception): to erase, turn off
Pattern 7
If verbs end with -asu, they are transitive verbs.
They become intransitive verbs by replacing -asu with u.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs
うごく: to move うごかす: to move
かわく: to dry かわかす: to dry
ぶ: to fly ばす: to fly, send (up), splash
く: to cry かす: to make … cry
く: to boil, be excited かす: to boil, excite
Pattern 8
If verbs end with -osu, they are transitive verbs.
They become intransitive verbs by replacing -osu with iru.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs
きる: to get up こす: to wake (up)
ちる: to fall, drop とす: to drop
りる: to get off ろす: to drop (off), unload
りる: to go down ろす: to pull down

Others

Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs
く: to open ける: to open
く: to become vacant, empty ける: to vacant, empty
こえる: to be heard く: to hear, listen (to)
かたづく: to be in order, be finished かたづける: to put … in order, settle
そだつ: to grow そだてる: to raise
つ: to stand てる: to set up, put up
つ: to be built てる: to build
く: to stick (to) ける: to spread, apply, stick, attach
つづく: to continue つづける: to continue
とどく: to received とどける: to send
ける: to be burned く: to burn
える: to be seen る: to look (at), watch, see
る: to sleep かせる: to send … to bed
る: to ride, take せる: to give a person a ride

Summary

  1. When verbs can be both intransitive and transitive verbs:
    • Intransitive verbs indicate automatic or natural actions
    • Transitive verbs indicate intentional actions
    • Transitive verbs need objects set by the particle を
    • Intransitive verbs can be with the particle を unless it works as direct object
  2. Using the same particles multiple times in a sentence is not recommended

Again, you don’t have to memorize the vocabulary which we have shown so far all at once. All you need to know here is what we have summarized above. You can naturally increase your vocabulary as you proceed with your learning. Now, you have completed even the advanced topics in the parts of speech section. Great Job! Next, you will learn one of the unique elements to Japanese: Sentence Ending Particles.