3.2 Transitive & Intransitive Verb Pairs (Jidoushi & Tadoushi)

Transitive & Intransitive Verb Pairs (自動詞・他動詞)

Quick Summary: Japanese verb transitivity is one of the most heavily tested grammatical domains in JLPT N4. Transitive verbs (他動詞 - tadoushi) express intentional actions performed by an agent upon an object marked with を (wo). Intransitive verbs (自動詞 - jidoushi) describe spontaneous actions, natural state changes, or physical occurrences marked with が (ga). Mastering transitivity is crucial for accurate particle assignment, aspect selection (〜ている vs. 〜てある), and passive/causative transformations.

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1. Core Syntactic & Semantic Distinction

  【他動詞 - Transitive】                 【自動詞 - Intransitive】
  Agent acts deliberately upon Object     Subject undergoes change spontaneously

  [Agent は/が] + [Object を] + 他動詞       [Subject が] + 自動詞
  ─────────────────────────────────────   ─────────────────────────────────────
  田中さんが ドアを 閉めました。            風で ドアが 閉まりました。
  (Tanaka closed the door.)               (The door closed in the wind.)

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2. The Six Morphological Pairing Patterns

Japanese transitive and intransitive verb pairs are derived from shared lexical roots through regular phonological alternations. Memorizing these 6 morphological classes enables you to instantly recognize transitivity even when encountering unfamiliar vocabulary.

   ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
   │          6 Morphological Transitivity Patterns          │
   └────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┘
                                │
    ┌──────────────┬────────────┼────────────┬──────────────┐
    │              │            │            │              │
┌───▼────┐   ┌─────▼────┐  ┌────▼────┐  ┌────▼─────┐  ┌─────▼────┐
│Pattern1│   │Pattern 2 │  │Pattern 3│  │Pattern 4 │  │Pattern 5/6│
│ -aru / │   │   -u /   │  │ -eru /  │  │ -eru /   │  │ -eru,-ru /│
│  -eru  │   │   -eru   │  │   -u    │  │ -asu,-osu│  │   -su    │
└────────┘   └──────────┘  └─────────┘  └──────────┘  └──────────┘

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Pattern 1: -aru (Intransitive) ↔ -eru (Transitive)

The most prolific pattern at N4. Verbs with -aru are intransitive; verbs with -eru are transitive Ichidan verbs.

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Pattern 2: -u (Intransitive) ↔ -eru (Transitive)

Godan intransitive ending in a consonant + -u alternates with an Ichidan transitive ending in -eru.

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Pattern 3: -eru (Intransitive) ↔ -u (Transitive)

The reverse of Pattern 2: Ichidan intransitive ending in -eru alternates with Godan transitive ending in -u.

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Pattern 4: -eru / -iru (Intransitive) ↔ -asu / -osu (Transitive)

Intransitive Ichidan verbs alternating with Godan transitive verbs ending in -asu or -osu.

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Pattern 5 & 6: -eru / -ru (Intransitive) ↔ -su (Transitive)

Verbs with a transitive -su suffix. Golden Rule: All Japanese verbs ending in -su are transitive!

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3. Aspectual Contrasts: 〜ている vs. 〜てある

One of the highest-weight grammar and vocabulary points on the N4 exam is distinguishing the state of an object expressed through 自動詞 + 〜ている versus 他動詞 + 〜てある.

  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
  │        State Description Matrix: 〜ている vs. 〜てある       │
  ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
  │  A. 自動詞 + 〜ている  (Spontaneous / Resulting State)       │
  │     • ドアが 閉まっています。 (The door is closed.)         │
  │     • 窓が 開いています。     (The window is open.)          │
  │     • 電気が ついています。   (The light is on.)             │
  │     Focus: Pure physical state observation. No agent known. │
  ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
  │  B. 他動詞 + 〜てある  (Deliberate / Preparatory State)     │
  │     • ドアが 閉めてあります。 (The door is kept closed.)    │
  │     • 窓が 開けてあります。   (The window has been opened.) │
  │     • 壁に カレンダーが 掛けてあります。                     │
  │     Focus: Result of purposeful action done by someone.     │
  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Detailed Comparison Table

4. Common Exam Traps & Error Elimination Rules

Trap 1: The Invariant "-su = Transitive" Rule

Whenever an answer choice ends in -su (す), such as 落とす, 直す, 消す, 沸かす, 出す, 冷やす, it is 100% transitive.

• If the sentence has [Entity] が （　）ています, an answer ending in -su is grammatically impossible.
• Incorrect: ✕ 電気が消してあります (without intent) / ✕ 電気が消しています。
• Correct: ○ 電気が消えています (自動詞) / ○ 電気を消しました (他動詞).

Trap 2: Invalid Pairing of Intransitive Verbs with 〜てある

〜てある can ONLY be attached to transitive verbs (他動詞). Combining an intransitive verb with 〜てある is one of the most common JLPT N4 grammar distractors.

• Fatal Distractor: ✕ ドアが閉まってあります / ✕ 窓が開いてあります
• Grammatical Standard: ○ ドアが閉めてあります (他動詞+てある) or ○ ドアが閉まっています (自動詞+ている).

Trap 3: Confusing 治る/治す (Health) with 直る/直す (Machines/Errors)

Both pairs share identical phonetics (なおる / なおす) but represent entirely different semantic domains:

• 病気・風邪・怪我 (Illness / Cold / Injury) → 治る (自動詞) / 治す (他動詞)
• 時計・車・間違い・機械 (Clock / Car / Mistake / Machine) → 直る (自動詞) / 直す (他動詞)