他動詞 / 自動詞 — Transitive and intransitive verbs | JLPT N4 grammar

Meaning

A transitive verb (他動詞) names what a person does to an object, which takes を: ドアを開ける — open the door. An intransitive verb (自動詞) describes what happens to the object itself, which takes が: ドアが開く — the door opens. Such verbs come in pairs: 開ける／開く, 閉める／閉まる, 消す／消える, つける／つく, 落とす／落ちる, 入れる／入る.

Formation

A transitive verb takes を: ドアを開ける
An intransitive verb takes が: ドアが開く
Pairs differ in the ending: 開ける／開く, 消す／消える, 始める／始まる

When to use it

Core use: Transitive and intransitive verbs

Examples

33 sentences

母ははがドアを開けるあける
Mother opens the door.
私わたしは窓まどを開けるあける
I open the window.
ドアが開くあく
The door opens.
店みせが九時くじに開くあく
The shop opens at nine o'clock.
父ちちが窓まどを閉めるしめる
Father closes the window.
ドアが閉まるしまる
The door closes.
店みせが六時ろくじに閉まるしまる
The shop closes at six o'clock.
私わたしは電気でんきを消すけす
I turn off the light.

25 more examples

子どもこどもが字じを消すけす
The child erases the letters.
電気でんきが消えるきえる
The light goes out.
雲くもが消えるきえる
The cloud disappears.
私わたしはテレビをつける
I turn on the TV.
母ははが電気でんきをつける
Mother turns on the light.
テレビがつく
The TV turns on.
電気でんきがつく
The light turns on.
私わたしはコップを落としましたおとしました
I dropped a glass.
子どもこどもがかぎを落としましたおとしました
The child dropped a key.
りんごが落ちるおちる
The apple falls.
本ほんが机つくえから落ちるおちる
The book falls from the desk.
私わたしはかばんに本ほんを入れるいれる
I put the book into the bag.
母ははがコーヒーに砂糖さとうを入れるいれる
Mother puts sugar in the coffee.
猫ねこが部屋へやに入るはいる
The cat enters the room.
お客さんおきゃくさんが店みせに入るはいる
The customer enters the shop.
風かぜでドアが開きあきました
The door opened in the wind.
私わたしがドアを開けあけました
I opened the door.
電気でんきが消えきえました
The light went out.
父ちちが電気でんきを消しけしました
My father turned off the light.
大切たいせつな皿さらが割れわれました
The plate I treasured broke.
弟おとうとが皿さらを割りわりました
My younger brother broke the plate.
バスがここで止まりとまりました
The bus stopped here.
運転手うんてんしゅがバスを止めとめました
The driver stopped the bus.
鍵かぎがポケットに入りはいりました
The key went into the pocket.
私わたしが鍵かぎをポケットに入れいれました
I put the key in my pocket.

Important notes

A transitive verb takes an object; an intransitive verb describes its subject's event or state.

Common mistakes

Change the verb as well as the particle: 電気を消す → 電気が消える, not 電気が消す. A causative such as 消させる is not the intransitive partner.

Check yourself

Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.

Sentence 1: 子どもこどもが字じを消すけす The child erases the letters.The child became able to dress by himself.The letters on the screen have disappeared.
Sentence 2: 母ははがコーヒーに砂糖さとうを入れるいれる The door has been left open.I became able to read hiragana.Mother puts sugar in the coffee.
Sentence 3: 私わたしが鍵かぎをポケットに入れいれました I started getting up early every morning.The meeting room door has been left open.I put the key in my pocket.

Similar grammar

Hear it in podcasts

The pattern appears in these episodes. They open in the app with the transcript and translation.

祖母のみそ汁N4 · 3 min 8 s