Why do some transitive verbs take に instead of を?

Question

ヘスティアはせっせと残りの「神聖文字」を付け足し、己のしてやれることに努める。

I don't really understand why に used instead を even though 努める is transitive?

Thanks!

naruto · Accepted Answer · 2015-08-31 15:31:01Z

4

I think you're mixing up two different つとめる with different kanji. 努める is always intransitive.

And there is also 勤める.

answered Aug 31 '15 at 15:31

naruto

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1

Interestingly, 勤める can take both に and を. Not for the same function though. 看護師として病院に勤める。(I am unsure if として can be replaced by を here). Nevertheless, there is at least one case where を is ok according to goo辞書法事を勤める。 – 永劫回帰 Aug 31 '15 at 15:44
1

In fact, I'm not really sure if "(病院で)看護師を勤める" is correct. As a "textbook" rule, I think it's at least unsafe, but even 漱石, 芥川 and 太宰 used を勤める that way... – naruto Aug 31 '15 at 19:15

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