JLPT N4 Grammar – Japanese Intransitive and Transitive Verbs
Table of Contents
1. Japanese Intransitive and Transitive Verbs
2. Intransitive Verbs
3. Transitive Verbs
4. How to Distinguish ①
5. How to Distinguish ②
6. Summary
7. Quiz
8. Similar Articles
9. Comment
Q: I can’t tell the difference between intransitive and transitive verbs.
A: Distinguishing between intransitive and transitive verbs in Japanese is challenging and is a common question among foreign learners of Japanese.
There are several ways to distinguish them, but today let’s look at and learn about the general patterns that apply to most intransitive and transitive verbs.
Intransitive Verbs (JLPT N4)
Intransitive verbs are used when the subject itself performs an action.
This means that no person is needed to perform the action; the sentence is formed with ‘the thing (subject) and its action’.
For example, when you walk toward an automatic door, the door automatically opens.
In such situations, the door is the subject indicated by the particles ‘は’ or ‘が’, and since the door itself moves, there is no object.
Thus, intransitive verbs indicate ‘automatic‘ or ‘natural‘ actions.
[Examples]
| Topic / Subject | Action / Movement |
|---|---|
| ドアが The door | 閉まります。 closes. |
| Topic / Subject | Action / Movement |
|---|---|
| 電気が The light | 消えました。 turned off. |
Transitive Verbs (JLPT N4)
Transitive verbs involve a subject (the doer) acting upon something else.
Therefore, transitive verbs are defined by ‘the doer and their action,’ and the meaning is established by using ‘the object that receives the action.’
For example, when opening a regular door, not an automatic one, the door is opened by a person.
In such situations, the door is the object indicated by the particle ‘を’, and someone needs to open it, thus a subject is required.
In other words, transitive verbs indicate ‘intentional‘ actions performed by people.
[Examples]
| Topic / Subject = Doer | Object | Action / Movement of the Doer |
|---|---|---|
| わたしは I | ドアを the door | 閉めます。 close. |
| Topic / Subject = Doer | Object | Action / Movement of the Doer |
|---|---|---|
| 母は My mother | 電気を the light | 消しました。 turned off. |
How to Distinguish Between Intransitive and Transitive Verbs ①
There are various methods, but let’s look at two simple ones. (However, there are exceptions!)
[Look at the subject and the particle]
Intransitive verbs are formed as:
[subject] が [intransitive verb]
[Examples]
ふたが開きました。
The lid opened.
川の水が流れています。
The river’s water is flowing.
電気がつきます。
The light turns on.
Transitive verbs are formed as:
[Doer] は [Object] を [Transitive Verb]
[Examples]
たろうさんはコーヒーを飲みます。
Taro drinks coffee.
ゆきさんはふたを開けました。
Yuki opened the lid.
わたしはトイレの水を流しました。
I flushed the toilet water.
How to Distinguish Between Intransitive and Transitive Verbs ②
There is another method to distinguish between intransitive and transitive verbs.
[Look at the sound]
Intransitive verbs take sounds below:
“-aru” “-reru” “-areru” “-reru” “-ru” “-reru/eru” “-u” “-iru”
Transitive verbs take sounds below:
“-eru” “-su” “-u” “-ru” “-su” “-rasu/yasu” “-asu” “-osu”
Let’s look at some examples!
[Pattern 1]
| Intransitive verbs | Transitive verbs |
|---|---|
| -aru | -eru |
| 上がる (to rise) | 上げる (to raise) |
| 閉まる (to close) | 閉める (to close) |
| 始まる (to start) | 始める (to start) |
| 変わる (to change) | 変える (to change) |
| 集まる (to gather) | 集める (to collect) |
[Pattern 2]
| Intransitive verbs | Transitive verbs |
|---|---|
| -reru | -su |
| 壊れる (to break) | 壊す (to break) |
| 汚れる (to become dirty) | 汚す (to make it dirty) |
| 倒れる (to fall) | 倒す (to knock down) |
[Pattern 3]
| Intransitive verbs | Transitive verbs |
|---|---|
| -areru | -u |
| 生まれる (to be born) | 生む (to give birth) |
[Pattern 4]
| Intransitive verbs | Transitive verbs |
|---|---|
| -reru | -ru |
| 切れる (to be cut) | 切る (to cut) |
| 割れる (to break) | 割る (to break) |
| 売れる (to be sold) | 売る (to sell) |
[Pattern 5]
| Intransitive verbs | Transitive verbs |
|---|---|
| -ru | -su |
| 残る (to remain, to stay) | 残す (to leave) |
| 直る (to be fixed) | 直る (to fix) |
| 帰る (to go back) | 帰す (to let a person go back) |
[Pattern 6]
| Intransitive verbs | Transitive verbs |
|---|---|
| -reru / -eru | -rasu / -yasu |
| 冷える (to get cold) | 冷やす (to cool) |
| 増える (to increase) | 増やす (to increase) |
| 濡れる (to get wet) | 濡らす (to wet) |
[Pattern 7]
| Intransitive verbs | Transitive verbs |
|---|---|
| -u | -asu |
| 泣く (to cry) | 泣かす (to make someone cry) |
| 動く (to move) | 動かす (to move) |
| 乾く (to dry) | 乾かす (to dry) |
[Pattern 8]
| Intransitive verbs | Transitive verbs |
|---|---|
| -iru | -osu |
| 起きる (to get up) | 起こす (to wake up) |
| 落ちる (to fall, to drop) | 落とす (to drop) |
| 下りる (to go down) | 下ろす (to bring down) |
Of course, there are intransitive and transitive verbs that do not fit this pattern, so caution is required. Please use this as a general trend to help you remember.
Summary
Intransitive verbs
- Indicate automatic or natural actions.
- Involve the ‘subject’ itself performing the ‘action.’
- Often, they are formed as、[Subject が Intransitive verb].
Transitive verbs
- Indicate intentional actions.
- Involve the ‘agent’ acting upon the ‘object.’
- Often, they are formed as [Doer は Object を Transitive verb].
**However, there are exceptions, so be careful.**
Quiz
Is the verb used in the following sentence an intransitive or a transitive verb?
Click on the question to check the answer.
A.Transitive verb
The teacher turned on the classroom lights.
*It uses the accusative case (ヲ格), and there is an agent acting upon something else, so the correct answer is transitive verb.
A. Intransitive Verb
The bird is flying.
*The bird itself is performing the action, so the correct answer is intransitive verb.
A. Intransitive Verb
The door opened because of the wind.
*It uses the nominative case (ガ), and there is no doer, with the ‘door’ itself initiating the action, so the correct answer is intransitive verb.
A. Transitive verb
I eat bread every morning.
*Although there is no subject mentioned, there is an object (bread) for the action ‘eat’, so the correct answer is transitive verb.
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