This is an area where language learners struggle, since English does not have this feature. In Japanese, there are a large number of verbs that come in pairs, with each side of the pair having a transitive or intransitive meaning. Not only are these terms a bit more transparent than 'transitive' and 'intransitive,' but you'll also see the first kanji (他 and 自) in native dictionaries to indicate the transitivity of specific verbs. These Japanese terms are really good to keep in mind as you learn about transitivity in Japanese. This explains the native Japanese term for intransitive verbs - 自動詞（じどうし）, or 'self verb'. In any case, the sentence presents 'open' as though it happens independently, or by itself. In this intransitive sentence, we have no idea how or why the door opened, we just know that it happened… creepy 👻 Maybe a ghost opened it, or maybe it was the wind. Instead, the verb expresses a change in the subject. There is no transfer of energy between a subject and object. It involves one entity acting upon another, which explains why the Japanese term for 'transitive verb' is 他動詞（たどうし） - 'other verb'.Īn intransitive verb is the opposite of a transitive one. The subject, Jenny, transfers energy to the door, causing it to open. A verb that is transitive involves the transfer of energy from one entity to another, namely from a subject to an object. What is transitivity?įirst, consider the word 'transitivity.' It contains the same root word as 'transfer,' and that is no coincidence. In this page, we'll explore what transitivity is, and how it differs in English and Japanese. For most learners, transitivity is a concept that they encounter for the first time when studying foreign language, so you might be surprised to learn that it exists in most, if not all languages - even English! Transitivity in Japanese operates differently than in English, which is why it can be so hard to wrap your mind around.

Japanese verbs are often categorized into one of two categories - 'transitive' or 'intransitive'. Intransitive verbs describe actions that happen by themselves. Transitive verbs describe actions that happen to something else.

What is transitive verb