Transitivity Pairs

[Angel Valis]

Hi there, I'm making a list of all the verbs in my textbook (yeah I do a lot of this sort of thing lol), and I decided to make a section on transitive and intransitive verbs.

My book already lists several pairs 開ける、開く、わかす、わく etcetera, however there are a few verbs in my book that seem like they could also fit into this category that weren't listed in this section and I was wondering if anyone could enlighten me as to whether or not they are transitivity pairs.

起こす - to wake (someone) up
起きる - to get up

始める - to begin
始まる - (something) begins

Also, if these do fall into this category...could you tell me which is the transitive and which is intransitive? I don't want to mix them up lol.

And finally, is there a counterpart to "終わる - (something) ends"?

Thanks in advance
よろしくおねがいします。

 

[Glenn]

It's kind of in your glosses there, but here they are:

起こす -- transitive
起きる -- intransitive
(起こる -- intransitive)

始める -- transitive
始まる -- intransitive

終える -- transitive
終わる -- intransitive

Although, I suppose I should add that 終わる gets used like a transitive verb too sometimes, so be on the lookout for that.

 

[Angel Valis]

It's kind of in your glosses there...

Ha ha, yeah, but when I started to think about them I started to wonder which was which lol. Sometimes too much thinking is a bad thing lol.

起きる -- intransitive
(起こる -- intransitive)

Then, are these two verbs equivalent and interchangeable?

終えるｩ -- transitive

I take it the reading is still お for 終? The IME produces the correct kanji with that reading...but I like making sure

Thank you so much for your reply, you've been a great help whenever I've had questions
どうもありがとうございました。

 

[Toritoribe]

This might be a bit advanced but would be helpful.;-)

There are 12 types of "intransitive - transitive pair(11 regular + 1 irregular)" in Japanese verbs.

intransitive <--> transitive

1)stem-aru <--> stem-u
ふさがる <--> ふさぐ(fusagaru <--> fusagu)
刺さる <--> 刺す(sasaru <--> sasu)

2)stem-aru <--> stem-eru
上がる <--> 上げる(agaru <--> ageru)
当たる <--> 当てる(ataru <--> ateru)

3)stem-u <--> stem-eru
開く <--> 開ける(aku <--> akeru)
浮かぶ <--> 浮かべる(ukabu <--> ulaberu)

4)stem-eru <--> stem-u
切れる <--> 切る(kireru <--> kiru)
砕ける <--> 砕く(kudakeru <--> kudaku)

5)stem-eru <--> stem-asu
遅れる <--> 遅らす(okureru <--> okurasu)
冷める <--> 冷ます(sameru <--> samasu)

6)stem-reru <--> stem-su
倒れる <--> 倒す(taoreru <--> taosu)
流れる <--> 流す(nagareru <--> nagasu)

7)stem-u <--> stem-asu
動く <--> 動かす(ugoku <--> ugokasu)
減る <--> 減らす(heru <--> herasu)

8)stem-iru <--> stem-asu
伸びる <--> 伸ばす(nobiru <--> nobasu)
生きる <--> 生かす(ikiru <--> ikasu)

9)stem-iru <--> stem-osu
起きる <--> 起こす(okiru <--> okosu)
降りる <--> 降ろす(oriru <--> orosu)

10)stem-ru <--> stem-su
残る <--> 残す(nokoru <--> nokosu)
移る <--> 移す(utsuru <--> utsusu)

11)stem-ru <--> stem-seru
乗る <--> 乗せる(noru <--> noseru)

(There's a different difinition in another textbook, I don't know which one is correct.)
11')stem-u <--> stem-osu
及ぶ <--> 及ぼす(oyobu <--> oyobosu)

12) irregular
生まれる <--> 生む(umareru <--> umu)
消える <--> 消す(kieru <--> kesu)
煮える <--> 煮る(nieru <--> niru)


Plus, more complicatedly, there are also "intransitive - intransitive", "transitive - transitive" pairs in some verbs, as Glenn-san mentioned.

intransitive - intransitive
縮む <--> 縮まる(chijimu <--> chijimaru)
(transitive: 縮める(chijimeru))

混ざる <--> 混じる(mazaru <--> majiru)
(transitive: 混ぜる(mazeru))


transitive - transitive
つなぐ <--> つなげる(tsunagu <--> tsunageru)
(intransitive: つながる(tsunagaru))

おどす <--> おどかす(odosu <--> odokasu)
(intransitive: おどろく(odoroku))

Then, are these two verbs equivalent and interchangeable?

No, they often have different meanings.

○事件が起きる
○事件が起こる

○彼は毎朝早く起きる
×彼は毎朝早く起こる

起こる can't be used as "to wake up," for instance.

I take it the reading is still お for 終?

Yes. That's おえる.

 

[Angel Valis]

Wow...that's...kind of scary. But thanks so much for the reply.

....Warning, incoming barrage of questions lol.

Is there a way to tell what change a particular verb goes through by looking at it, similar to how you can determine how to form て-form from the endings of ごだん / う (term my book uses) verbs?

I ask, because a lot of these seem to be similar. And also because I don't see why the "irregular" ones are irregular if I don't see much of a pattern with the others lol.

Does this mean that ANY verb can be changed into a transitive/intransitive form or are there only a small number of these pairs?

Also...why is 乗る intransitive? Since I can say 「私はバスに乗ります」 "I will ride the bus" doesn't that make it a transitive verb, or is it like 終わる and can be used for either?

Or is it because 乗る doesn't actually take a direct object with を? If so, then does 乗せる mean "(something) is ridden or boarded"? Such as 「バスを乗せます」 "The bus is ridden/boarded"?

And what does the transitive form of 生まれる (to be born) - 生む - mean? To give birth to something?

And what about these "intransitive - intransitive" and "transitive - transitive" pairs you've mentioned? What is their function? Are they like 起きる and 起こる and have similar, but not exactly the same, meanings?

Also...I was not aware that 起きる meant anything but to wake up.

It's like the more questions I ask, the more questions I have...but in a way it's sort of enjoyable lol.

 

[Toritoribe]

Is there a way to tell what change a particular verb goes through by looking at it, similar to how you can determine how to form て-form from the endings of ごだん / う (term my book uses) verbs?

No, unfortunately, there's no fixed rule. As you can see in #3 and #4, for instance, they are completely contrary to each other. However, generally it can be said that intransitive verbs often ends with る, and transitive verbs is with す.(Of couse so many exceptions exist, though.)

Does this mean that ANY verb can be changed into a transitive/intransitive form or are there only a small number of these pairs?

There are lots of transitive - intransitive pair verbs, but there are also so many transitive/intransitive verbs that doesn't have the counterpart. Futhermore, there's another type, the one that transitive and intransitive are the same, e.g., e.g., 花が開[ひら]く <--> 花を開[ひら]く.

Also...why is 乗る intransitive? Since I can say 「私はバスに乗ります」 "I will ride the bus" doesn't that make it a transitive verb, or is it like 終わる and can be used for either?
Or is it because 乗る doesn't actually take a direct object with を? If so, then does 乗せる mean "(something) is ridden or boarded"? Such as 「バスを乗せます」 "The bus is ridden/boarded"?
And what does the transitive form of 生まれる (to be born) - 生む - mean? To give birth to something?

In Japanese grammar, the most common diffinition of transitive - intransitive is that intransitive verbs take を as the object, except 廊下を歩く, 階段を上がる, 家を出る,,,. (Another diffinition is that transitive verbs usually can have the passive form.)

乗客が飛行機に乗る <--> 乗客を飛行機に乗せる(board the passengers on the plane)
猫が椅子の上に乗る <--> 猫を椅子の上に乗せる(put the cat on the chair)

新記録が生まれた <--> 新記録を生んだ(set a new record)
仔猫が三匹産まれた <--> （母猫が）仔猫を三匹産んだ(gave birth to three kittens)

So these are typical が - を pair verbs.

And what about these "intransitive - intransitive" and "transitive - transitive" pairs you've mentioned? What is their function? Are they like 起きる and 起こる and have similar, but not exactly the same, meanings?

Mostly, yes.

 

[Angel Valis]

I suppose then, in the case of transitivity pairs, it's just one of those things you pick up as you learn the individual verbs and hear/read how they're used rather than rote memorization.

Thank you very much for explaining things so thoroughly, I really appreciate it, and I'm glad I've found such a good place to ask questions with such kind and helpful people