The Difference Between Intransitive and Transitive

Verbs

Intransitive Verbs:  

あ あ
ドア は / が 開く
/ 
開きます

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:  

わたし あ あ
[ / / 
私  は ドアを 開ける 開 When you open a door, needless
が] けます to say, the door is opened by you.
In such situations, the door has to
[Topic / Transitive be the objectset by the particle を,
Direct Object
Subject] Verb
and there have to be subjects
[I] will open the door. because someone will open the
door. That is to say, transitive
verbs indicate intentional actions.

あ
ドア は / が（開く
Intransitive
あ
/ 
開きます）。
 あ あ
ドアを（開ける / 開
Transitive
けます）。

As you already know, subjects can be omitted when the context clearly tells what or
わたし
who you’re referring to. In the second example, the subject:  私  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:  

でんしゃ で で
/ 
電車  は えき
出る 出ま
駅を
/が す

[Topic / Location to Intransitive

Subject] Leave Verb

The train will leave the station.

Transitive Verbs:  

だ
わたし でんしゃ 出す
[
私   電車 えき
駅 から / 
だ
は / が] を 出しま
す
[Topic / Direct Starting Transitiv
Subject] Object Point e 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
えき えき
used with  駅  while the particle を is used with  駅  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.

でんしゃ えき だ だ
[私 は / が]  電車 を 駅 を 出す / 出します。=> 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

あ あ
: to rise : to raise
上がる 上げる

あつ あつ
: to gather : to collect
集 まる 集 める

たか たか
: to increase : to increase
高 まる 高 める
 Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs

つた つた
: to spread, : to tell,
伝 わる 伝 える
go around inform

お お
: to finish, to *: to finish,
終わる 終える
end  end

か か
: to change : to change
変わる 変える

かかる: to take かける: to spend, take

(resources) (time)

き き
: to be decided : to decided
決まる 決める

さ さ
: to fall, lower, : to lower, pull
下がる 下げる
drop down, reduce 

し し
: to close : to close
閉まる 閉める

と と
: to stop : to stop
止まる 止める

はじ はじ
: to start : to start
始 まる 始 める

ま ま
: to bent, : to bend,
曲がる 曲げる
curve, turn curve

み み
: to be found : to find
見つかる 見つける

お お
*終える sounds a little formal and 終わる 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

こわ こわ
: to break : to break
壊 れる 壊す

たお たお
: to fall (to : to throw
倒 れる 倒す
the ground), collapse down, knock down

よご よご
: to become : to make (it)
汚 れる 汚す
dirty 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

う う
: to be sold : to sell
売れる 売る

お お
: to break, snap : to break, snap
折れる 折る

き き
: to be cut : to cut
切れる 切る

と
: to be
撮れる と
: to take (photo),
撮る
photographed, be
to record (video)
recorded

わ わ
: to break : to break
割れる 割る
Pattern 4
If verbs end with -areru, they are intransitive verbs.
They become transitive verbs by replacing -areru with u.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs

う う
: to be born : to give birth
生まれる 生む
Pattern 5
If verbs end with -su, they are transitive verbs.
They become intransitive verbs by replacing -su with ru.
 Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs

うつ うつ
: to be in a : to copy,
写る 写す
photo, be projected transcribe, photograph

かえ
: to let a person
かえ
る: to go back 帰す
帰
go back

かえ かえ
: to be returned : to return
返る 返す

だ
(*exception): to
で
る: to go out, leave, 出す
出
take out, let out, put
depart
out

なお
: to be fixed, be
直る なお
: to fix, repair
直す
repaired

なお
: to be cured,
治る なお
: to cure, heal
治す
be recovered

のこ
: to remain,
残る のこ
: to leave
残す
stay

まわ まわ
: to turn, rotate, : to turn, rotate,
回る 回す
revolve, spin spin

もど もど
: to be back : to return
戻る 戻す
Pattern 6
If verbs end with -asu, they are transitive verbs.
They become intransitive verbs by replacing -asu with eru.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs

おく
: to be
遅 れる おく
: to delay
遅 らす
delayed
 Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs

に に
: to run away, : to set … free,
逃げる 逃がす
escape let …go

ぬれる: to get wet ぬらす: to wet

ひ
: to cool, to
ひ
: to get cold 冷やす
冷える
make … cold

ふ ふ
: to increase : to increase
増える 増やす

ゆ
: to sway,
ゆ
れる: to shake 揺らす
揺
shake

け
(*exception): to
き
える: to disappear 消す
消
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

うご うご
: to move : to move
動く 動 かす

かわ かわ
: to dry : to dry
乾く 乾 かす

と
: to fly, send
と
: to fly 飛ばす
飛ぶ
(up), splash

な
: to make …
な
: to cry 泣かす
泣く
cry

わ
: to boil, be
沸く わ
: to boil, excite
沸かす
excited
Pattern 8
If verbs end with -osu, they are transitive verbs.
They become intransitive verbs by replacing -osu with iru.
Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs

お お
: to get up : to wake (up)
起きる 起こす

お お
: to fall, drop : to drop
落ちる 落とす

お
: to drop (off),
お
りる: to get off 降ろす
降
unload

お お
: to go down : to pull down
下りる 下ろす

Others

Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs

あ あ
: to open : to open
開く 開ける

あ あ
: to become : to vacant,
空く 空ける
vacant, empty empty

き
: to hear, listen
き
: to be heard 聞く
聞こえる
(to)

かた かた
: to be in : to put …
片 づく 片 づける
order, be finished in order, settle

そだ そだ
: to grow : to raise
育つ 育 てる

た
: to set up, put
た
: to stand 立てる
立つ
up
 Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs

た た
: to be built : to build
建つ 建てる

つ
: to spread,
つ
: to stick (to) 付ける
付く
apply, stick, attach

つづ つづ
: to continue : to continue
続く 続 ける

とど とど
: to received : to send
届く 届 ける

や や
: to be burned : to burn
焼ける 焼く

み
: to look (at),
み
える: to be seen 見る
見
watch, see

ね
: to send …
ね
る: to sleep 寝かせる
寝
to bed

の
: to give a
の
: to ride, take 乗せる
乗る
person a ride