Japanese Language

Questions tagged [transitivity]

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他動性・自他対応. Whether or not verbs take a direct object as a complement. In Japanese, these objects are typically marked with the accusative case marker を.

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が vs は for intransitive verbs

In my textbook it says that to say: There is a good restaurant in this building. the translation is: このたてものにいいレストランがあります。 However, why is が used and not は? Would は be indicating a contrast (...
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に vs. を in “to pass a test”

Every time I'm feeling confident about the correct usage of に, を, and で, I get thrown for a loop. Could someone please explain to me the use of に in this sentence: I will study a lot and pass the ...
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transitive and intransitive verbs using を/が particle

Was studying Anki when i came across やっと難しい問題が解けった Instead of using the が particle, would it also be plausible to use the を particle here? I know that transitive sentences normally uses を and ...
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Potential verb form and を [duplicate]

I saw “私は日本語を話せます。” in an online lesson. Is it grammatically correct?
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Padding of 好みの潰さで味ゎぅ [closed]

I'm trying to parse (put spaces between each word) the following sentence in the picture attached: I've tried Recognizing the Characters using an app and got this : 好みの潰さで味ゎぅ I recognize that there ...
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Why does 電池 take the を particle

The sentence 咲は電池{でんち}を時計｛とけい｝に入｛はい｝れました。 Translates as "Saki put the batteries in the watch" but would would 電池 take を in this case?
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How to interpret intransitives in non-past tense

I've been reading linguistics books lately and they've gotten me reexamining things I've learned in Japanese textbooks for foreign learners. Susumu Kuno's book The Structure of the Japanese Language ...
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139 views

Transitive-intransitive pairs with different readings

Transitive-intransitive pairs are common in Japanese. But in general the reading of the kanji is the same. I know of two exceptions: 出す{だす}-出る{でる} and 入れる{いれる}-入る{はいる}. Are there more?
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Xに捕まる　vs　Xに捕まえられる

Xに捕まる was used when describing the speaker getting grabbed by X when trying to leave. Why was the intransitive used over passive when it was Xに...?
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Can「確立する」function as an intransitive verb?

Was casually browsing through the Wikipedia page on modern Japanese literature and came across this line that has been bugging me for a bit. For context, I've included a bit of the beginning of the ...
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What is the difference between はみ出す and はみ出る?

They are both intransitive: シャツがズボンからはみ出していますよ。 Your shirt is coming out of your pants. 足が 線からはみ出ています。 Your foot is over the line.
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Is this enough to make intransitive use of the transitive 設ける?

The sentence in question: 入院先の聖隷浜松病院が設けてくれました。 For Full context: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/web_tokushu/2018_1130.html?utm_int=news_contents_tokushu_002 My attempt at translation: "The...hospital ...
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Transitive English words becoming intransitive 外来語

While reading naruto's answer to Difference in sentences (と and に）, I realized that although キス is an intransitive verb in Japanese, the English kiss is almost always used as a transitive verb. Some ...
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Transitive vs Causative Intransitive

original (Causative Intransitive): 彼女は私の肩に頭を凭れさせる vs new (transitive): 彼女は私の肩に頭を凭せる way back when i asked this, i took it as sometimes there is no transitive pair for an intransitive verb so the ...
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Expected sentence in article to use を but が is used instead

I'm reading this article and I have come across this sentence and I'm wondering why が is used instead of を. What's the reason am I missing here? １１日、豊洲市場がオープンして競りが始まりました。 My translation: ...
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Distinction of using を/に instead of が

さあ次もビーチバレーという名のウォッチング[に]勤しむぜ！- Ok, next, lets endeavor to watch beach volleyball ! それにしても、人間世界はじつに物[に]あふれておるな。- That being said, the world of humans is actually overflowing with things (this ...
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Under what scenarios can you use transitive verbs with に？

それじゃあなんかお前の方が詳しそうだから、ここはお前に任せる 俺の負けだ。今日のところは素直に敗北を認める Can に and を be swapped in these scenarios? If not, what is the distinction between 認める and 任せる ?
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Nuance of Noun-verb　(を）入る/入れる

ええ～、なかなかいらっしゃらないからと、近隣の署に片っ端から連絡を入れたそうですよ eh, you didn't show up, so it seemed like (she) contacted every police station in the area おたくらちょっとそれ軽くいじめ入ってるよ！？　自覚あります！？ you Otakus, you're sorta (...
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PhraseA-て + phraseB + ために + phrase C

From here: この行事は、お盆が終わって先祖の霊を送るために行われていて、３００年以上の歴史があると言われています。 This is event is performed to dispatch the souls of the ancestors ??? and is said to have over 300 years of history. I'm struggling ...
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I don't understand the difference in meaning of ようにする and ようになる in this particular sentence

朝早く起きられるようになりました。apposed to 朝早く起きられるようにしました。 I understand that the first sentence is intransitive and the second is transitive but I don't understand the difference in meaning From my understanding ...
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Meaning of 欲ばっから and help with the following sentence

Context: Riku, the protagonist boxer of this manga, is fighting against an evasive opponent that is really good at dodging punches and who always tries to win on points rather than KOs. Riku tries to ...
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Question about the uses of “を” particle besides being a “direct object” and “spatial object” marker

I know that the former is for transitive verbs and the latter is for intransitive verbs (specifically motion verbs like 出る、向く、上る) but how do I explain the following sentence: 明日、会社を休む。 At first, I ...
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止める and 止まる being used equally

Last year, on Lang-8, I wrote a text and there was the following sentence there: 英語を作文するは止まるのだ。 I tried to mean "I will stop to write English texts (on Lang-8)". I have got two corrections: ...
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How can this intransitive verb be used transitively here?

The sentence in question: 中には、おんぶを怖がる子どももいます Full context My attempt at translation: "On average, there are also children which fear piggybackriding". In the jisho translation, 怖がる is described ...
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159 views

Why is the causative used for a transitive verb in this case?

Saw this sample sentence on Tangorin: その物音が私を眠りから覚まさせた。 The noise awoke me from my sleep. Since 覚ます is a transitive verb, I do not understand why not simply use the past tense instead: ...
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生徒が分かる and 彼が見える and Intransitivity

I have been searching all internet and haven't found an "acceptable" answer for it yet. I hope you guys can help me! I was reading a text in the website KawaJapa about 分かる and the sentence 日本語が分かる. ...
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Transitivity of つる with the meaning “to cramp”

泳ぐ前に、しっかり準備体操をするのを忘れない、というのを注意した方がいいと思います。 I think I should warn (people) not to forget to warm up properly before swimming. そうですね。私も時々水の中で足をツッてしまいますから、みなさんも注意してください。 That's right. I also ...
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Can いそぐ be used transitively, as in べんきょうをいそぎます?

Is べんきょうをいそぎます。 a proper sentence construction? Are there others way to use いそぎます in a sentence?
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Patterns (and exceptions) for 自動詞 - 他動詞 pairs

As a 3rd year student of Japanese, I don't have all that wide a vocabulary yet, but have noticed that, typically, the following patterns are observable in terms of the word endings for transitive-...
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Existence of Transitive/intransitive pairs

I searched for the answer for this specific question of mine, but couldn't find it. So I'm sorry If I duplicated some thread. I was reading some stuff here about 自動詞 and 他動詞 and start wondering if ...
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371 views

仕事が終わる or 仕事を終える

What are the differences in nuance between the following sentences? A:父は仕事が終わり次第、毎日まっすぐ帰宅します。 B:父は仕事を終え次第、毎日まっすぐ帰宅します。
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What is this に in 知恵に挑戦する

As usual, I'm having trouble with this particle. Here's the sentence: 誰にでも見られるところに堂々と張り出し、私たちの知恵に挑戦する。 I don't understand. I would personally have written "私たちの知恵を挑戦する。". How is に effective here? ...
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Verbs Which Change Form but not Meaning

I have noticed that there are a number of verbs in Japanese which have common alternative forms, especially potential form, but these forms have identical meanings. One of these is 焼く, which appears ...
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Is 別れる the intransitive form of 分ける?

I'm studying kanji right know and I found this verb with the kanji 別 and its: わかれる. It is an intransitive verb and it means to be divided. Then I found out that to divide is 分ける but it has a different ...
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how to know a intransitive verb version of a verb? [duplicate]

I just watched a video* that explaining about transitive and intransitive verbs. it says intransitive verb in japanese usually has different form from transitive verb but it doesnt tell anything how ...
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この文の「を」の使い方// usage of the particle を

I am reading frol maggiesensei.com and I came across this sentence. あなたみたいな人を意地悪というんですよ。 The meaning is "A person like you is called a mean person". Why is を being used instead of は？ Is the phrase ...
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What is the difference between に触れる and を触れる?

Example sentences: 手をふれないでください。 ボールはネットに触れた。 The second sentence feels like passive but then I would write it like this: に触れられる。
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The transitivity of (auxiliary) verbs

In the current section of my textbook, a bunch of verbal compositions was introduced, like: 読み終わり 歩き始め 祈り続け 終わり　and 続け are classified as auxiliary verbs on jisho: http://jisho.org/search/%E3%81%AF%E3%...
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Why is 遊ぶ intransitive?

I thought intransitive meant there is no actor/the thing is happening like on its own. But playing is done by a person, right? Yet the dictionary says it is intransitive... I believe there are other ...
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Nuances? 見つける vs 見つかる

So I get that 見つける takes an object and 見つかる doesn't, but can anyone tell me if there are any major differences between 答えを見つけた and 答えが見つかった If I came across an answer by chance, does the second ...
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Is 壊れる (こわれる) already in pasive form (受身形)?

So how can I say "My TV was broken by you", which one is correct? 僕のテレビは君に壊れた 僕のテレビは君に壊れられた
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Usage of なる with transitive verb

I'm currently struggling with particles in the following sentence: 。。。。、日本語が話せる機会を見つけづらくなると思います。 I want it to say that I think it will be become difficult to find opportunities where I am able to ...
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Transitivity of suru-verbs and the causative form to turn intransitive suru verbs into transitive ones

Recently came upon sentences where the causative form is used to make a suru-verb a transitive one. eg. この城を完成させるのに、... Are all suru verbs, intransitive by default? If so, does this use of the ...
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Pronouns in this sentence

Context: 彼女を、守ってあげてね？ 昔のわたし、救ってあげてね？ あなたは、治せる人を治してあげてね。わたしの傷はもう…あなたには専門外だから Problem sentence: そう…あなただけには、もう癒すことができないんだから Who can't be healed anymore, the person talking or the person it is ...
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use of particles on direct object

When is the use of correct particle (を or が) on the direct object of a transitive verb, for example: shigoto o owarimasu shigoto ga owarimasu What is the exact meaning in each other, please.
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Can verbs be both transitive and intransitive?

In English, there are many verbs that can behave both transitively and intransitively without appreciably changing the meaning of the verb. Just off the top of my head I ate a sandwich. (vt) -- I ...
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362 views

Meaning of てなきゃ in this sentence?

While playing a Japanese mobile horror game, a girl appears with a knife in hand and says the following: 「おとなしくしてなきゃダメじゃない」 I can guess this probably means something like It's a problem if you don'...
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Transitive verbs where the direct object is a clause

I encountered the following sentence from Jisho.org when looking up the definition of 確かめる {たしかめる}: 窓｛まど｝が閉まって｛しまって｝いるか確かめとけ As 確かめる is a transitive verb (according to Jisho.org at least), I was ...
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Is 「闇を抜けて」 grammatical?

According to the entry in jisho.org regarding the verb 「抜ける」, it is an intransitive verb. Now, in the song Departure by Masatoshi Ono, we can see this: You just try again 闇を抜けて Suggesting ...
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Can someone help explain the difference between Hajimeru and Hajimaru? [duplicate]

What is the difference between 始める{はじめる} (hajimeru) and 始まる{はじまる} (hajimaru)? Would appreciate some advice on this. Thanks

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