Last time, you tackled some advanced topics involving Japanese adjectives, such as “ 科 か 学 がく に 詳 くわ しい 人 ひと ” and “ 近 ちか いカフェ VS. 近 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 “ 走 はし る: to run” and “ 泳 およ ぐ: to swim.” The second is non-volitional (actions without people’s intention), such as “ 開 あ く: to open,” and “ 落 お 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: 開 あ く to open

ドア は / が 開 あ く / 開 あ 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: 開 あ ける to open

[ 私 わたし は / が] ドアを 開 あ ける / 開 あ 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（ 開 あ く / 開 あ きます）。 Transitive ドアを（ 開 あ ける / 開 あ 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: 私 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: 出 で る: to go out, leave, depart

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

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

[ 私 わたし は / が] 電車 でんしゃ を 駅 えき から 出 だ す / 出 だ 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 駅 えき while the particle を is used with 駅 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 を 駅 えき を 出 だ す / 出 だ 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 上 あ がる: to rise 上 あ げる: to raise 集 あつ まる: to gather 集 あつ める: to collect 高 たか まる: to increase 高 たか める: to increase 伝 つた わる: to spread, go around 伝 つた える: to tell, inform 終 お わる: to finish, to end 終 お える*: to finish, end 変 か わる: to change 変 か える: to change かかる: to take (resources) かける: to spend, take (time) 決 き まる: to be decided 決 き める: to decided 下 さ がる: to fall, lower, drop 下 さ げる: to lower, pull down, reduce 閉 し まる: to close 閉 し める: to close 止 と まる: to stop 止 と める: to stop 始 はじ まる: to start 始 はじ める: to start 曲 ま がる: to bent, curve, turn 曲 ま げる: to bend, curve 見 み つかる: to be found 見 み つける: to find

* 終 お える sounds a little formal and 終 お 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 壊 こわ れる: to break 壊 こわ す: to break 倒 たお れる: to fall (to the ground), collapse 倒 たお す: to throw down, knock down 汚 よご れる: to become dirty 汚 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 売 う れる: to be sold 売 う る: to sell 折 お れる: to break, snap 折 お る: to break, snap 切 き れる: to be cut 切 き る: to cut 撮 と れる: to be photographed, be recorded 撮 と る: to take (photo), to record (video) 割 わ れる: to break 割 わ 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 生 う まれる: to be born 生 う 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 写 うつ る: to be in a photo, be projected 写 うつ す: to copy, transcribe, photograph 帰 かえ る: to go back 帰 かえ す: to let a person go back 返 かえ る: to be returned 返 かえ す: to return 出 で る: to go out, leave, depart 出 だ す(*exception): to take out, let out, put out 直 なお る: to be fixed, be repaired 直 なお す: to fix, repair 治 なお る: to be cured, be recovered 治 なお す: to cure, heal 残 のこ る: to remain, stay 残 のこ す: to leave 回 まわ る: to turn, rotate, revolve, spin 回 まわ す: to turn, rotate, spin 戻 もど る: to be back 戻 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 遅 おく れる: to be delayed 遅 おく らす: to delay 逃 に げる: to run away, escape 逃 に がす: to set … free, let …go ぬれる: to get wet ぬらす: to wet 冷 ひ える: to get cold 冷 ひ やす: to cool, to make … cold 増 ふ える: to increase 増 ふ やす: to increase 揺 ゆ れる: to shake 揺 ゆ らす: to sway, shake 消 き える: to disappear 消 け 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 動 うご く: to move 動 うご かす: to move 乾 かわ く: to dry 乾 かわ かす: to dry 飛 と ぶ: to fly 飛 と ばす: to fly, send (up), splash 泣 な く: to cry 泣 な かす: to make … cry 沸 わ く: to boil, be excited 沸 わ 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 起 お きる: to get up 起 お こす: to wake (up) 落 お ちる: to fall, drop 落 お とす: to drop 降 お りる: to get off 降 お ろす: to drop (off), unload 下 お りる: to go down 下 お ろす: to pull down

Others

Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs 開 あ く: to open 開 あ ける: to open 空 あ く: to become vacant, empty 空 あ ける: to vacant, empty 聞 き こえる: to be heard 聞 き く: to hear, listen (to) 片 かた づく: to be in order, be finished 片 かた づける: to put … in order, settle 育 そだ つ: to grow 育 そだ てる: to raise 立 た つ: to stand 立 た てる: to set up, put up 建 た つ: to be built 建 た てる: to build 付 つ く: to stick (to) 付 つ ける: to spread, apply, stick, attach 続 つづ く: to continue 続 つづ ける: to continue 届 とど く: to received 届 とど ける: to send 焼 や ける: to be burned 焼 や く: to burn 見 み える: to be seen 見 み る: to look (at), watch, see 寝 ね る: to sleep 寝 ね かせる: to send … to bed 乗 の る: to ride, take 乗 の せる: to give a person a ride

Summary

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 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.

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