Transitive and Intransitive Verb Pairs
a few months ago I wrote a post about transitive and intransitive verbs in Japanese grammar, but hereâs a fairly comprehensive list of verb pairs in Japanese for quick reference!
format: äťĺčŠďźăăŠăăďźtransitive verbăăăťăăčŞĺčŠďźăăŠăăďźintransitive verb
ĺşăďźă ăďźto get outăăăťăăĺşăďźă§ăďźto go out
éăďźăŤăăďźto let escapeăăăťăăéăăďźăŤăăďźto escape
ćşśăăďźă¨ăăďźto melt (something)ăăăťăăćşśăăďźă¨ăăďźto melt
ćŻăăďźăăăďźto let witherăăăťăăćŻăăďźăăăďźto wither
ĺ˘ăăďźăľăăďźto increase (something)ăăăťăăĺ˘ăăďźăľăăďźto increase
ĺˇăăďźă˛ăăďźto cool (something)ăăăťăăĺˇăăďźă˛ăăďźto cool down
çăăďźăŻăăďźto grow (something)ăăăťăăçăăďźăŻăăďźto grow
辡ăăďźăăăďźto wake (something)ăăăťăă辡ăăďźăăăďźto wake
éăăďźăăăďźto take down, to drop offăăăťăăéăăďźăăăďźto descend, to get off
č˝ă¨ăďźăă¨ăďźto let fallăăăťăăč˝ăĄăďźăăĄăďźto fall
éăăďźăăăďźto spend (time)ăăăťăăéăăďźăăăďźto pass (time)
ć¸ăăďźă¸ăăďźto decrease (something)ăăăťăăć¸ăďźă¸ăďźto decrease
沸ăăďźăăăďźto boil (something)ăăăťăă沸ăďźăăďźto boil
äšžăăďźăăăăďźto dry (something)ăăăťăăäšžăďźăăăďźto dry
ĺă°ăďźăăăă°ăďźto give delightăăăťăăĺăśďźăăăăśďźto be delighted
éăăďźăăăďźto open (something)ăăăťăăéăďźăăďźto be open
ĺąăăďźă¨ăŠăăďźto deliver (something)ăăăťăăĺąăďźă¨ăŠăďźto reach
č˛ăŚăďźăă ăŚăďźto rearăăăťăăč˛ă¤ďźăă ă¤ďźto grow up
çŤăŚăďźăăŚăďźto stand up (something)ăăăťăăçŤă¤ďźăă¤ďźto stand
äšăăďźăŽăăďźto let boardăăăťăăäšăďźăŽăďźto board
ĺŻăăďźăăăďźto let nearăăăťăăĺŻăďźăăďźto approach
čżăďźăăăďźto bring backăăăťăăčżăďźăăăďźto return
éăďźă¨ăăďźto let throughăăăťăăéăďźă¨ăăďźto go through
ĺăďźăžăăďźto turn (something)ăăăťăăĺăďźăžăăďźto turn
ç´ăďźăŞăăďźto repair (something)ăăăťăăç´ăďźăŞăăďźto get repaired
渥ăďźăăăďźto hand overăăăťăă渥ăďźăăăďźto cross
é˘ăďźăŻăŞăďźto separateăăăťăăé˘ăăďźăŻăŞăăďźto break up
ĺ¤ăďźăŻăăďźto releaseăăăťăăĺ¤ăăďźăŻăăăďźto disengage
ĺăďźăăăďźto throw downăăăťăăĺăăďźăăăăďźto tumble
ćąăďźăăăďźto dirtyăăăťăăćąăăďźăăăăďźto become dirty
çžăďźăăăăďźto revealăăăťăăçžăăďźăăăăăďźto appear
ĺŁăďźăăăďźto breakăăăťăăĺŁăăďźăăăăďźto be broken
ćąşăăďźăăăďźto decideăăăťăăćąşăžăďźăăžăďźto be decided
éăăďźăăăďźto close (something)ăăăťăăéăžăďźăăžăďźto close
éăăďźăă¤ăăďźto collectăăăťăăéăžăďźăă¤ăžăďźto gather
ĺ§ăăďźăŻăăăďźto begin (something)ăăăťăăĺ§ăžăďźăŻăăžăďźto begin
čŚă¤ăăďźăżă¤ăăďźto find (something)ăăăťăăčŚă¤ăăďźăżă¤ăăďźto be found
ćăăďźăăăďźto hang (something)ăăăťăăćăăďźăăăďźto hang
ĺŠăăďźăăăăďźto save (something)ăăăťăăĺŠăăďźăăăăďźto be saved
ĺ¤ăăďźăăăďźto change (something)ăăăťăăĺ¤ăăďźăăăďźto change
ĺ ăăďźăăăăďźto add (something)ăăăťăăĺ ăăďźăăăăďźto join
çźăďźăăďźto burn (something)ăăăťăăçźăăďźăăăďźto burn
売ăďźăăďźto sellăăăťăă売ăăďźăăăďźto be sold
ćăďźăŹăďźto draw outăăăťăăćăăďźăŹăăďźto come out
č§ŁăďźăťăŠăďźto loosenăăăťăăč§ŁăăďźăťăŠăăďźto come loose
čŚăďźăżăďźto seeăăăťăăčŚăăďźăżăăďźto be visible*
* be careful with this pair! čŚăă (to be visible) is not the same as čŚăăă (to be able to see). A mountain can either be visible (čŚăă), or you are able to see a mountain (čŚăăă). Keep this in mind!
čăďźăăďźto hearăăăťăăčăăăďźăăăăďźto be audible
ćśăďźăăďźto deleteăăăťăăćśăăďźăăăďźto extinguish
ĺ
Ľăăďźăăăďźto put inăăăťăăĺ
ĽăďźăŻăăďźto enter
çľăăďźăăăďźto end (something)ăăăťăăçľăăďźăăăďźto end
example sentences for comparison
čŚăăăvsăăčŚăă
ăťĺ¤ăčŚăă¨ăé¨ăéăŁăŚăăăă¨ăăżăăăăăăľăŁăŚăă
ăLooking outside, it is raining.
ăťé¸ăčŚăăŚăăăăăăăżăăŚăăă
ăLand came in sight.
売ăăăvsăă売ăă
ăťćŹăĺŽă売ăŁăăăťăăăăăăăŁăă
ăI sold my books cheaply.
ăťćĽćŹčťăŻćľˇĺ¤ă§ăă売ăăăăŤăťăăăăŻăăăăă§ăăăăăă
ăJapanese cars sell well overseas.
ĺăăăvsăăĺă
ăťăă˘ăŽĺăŁćăĺăăăăă˘ăŽă¨ăŁăŚăăžăăăă
ăI turned the doorknob.
ăťčă犺ä¸ă§ăăăăĺăŁăŚăăăăŻăăăăĄă
ăă§ăăăăăžăăŁăŚăăă
ăLeaves were swirling in the air.
If youâre still having trouble with transitive and intransitive verbs, just remember that transitive require something to act on something else, while intransitive verbs require action that is independent (the čŞ in čŞĺčŠ means âself; oneselfâ).