Japanese word

他動詞

Pronunciation

Romajitadōshi

Meaning

  • nountransitive verb

Example

「手紙を書く」の「書く」は他動詞です。te gami o ka ku no ka ku wa ta dō shi de su

In 'write a letter,' write is a transitive verb.

Illustration for 他動詞 (transitive verb)

More examples

文の中で他動詞を見つけたら、目的語にも注目します。bun no naka de ta dō shi o mi tsu ke ta ra moku teki go ni mo chū moku shi ma su

When you find a transitive verb in a sentence, pay attention to its object as well.

Core concept

A verb presents an action as directed from a subject toward an object that the action affects.

Common phrases

  • 他動詞の活用ta dō shi no katsu yō

    conjugation of a transitive verb

  • 他動詞と目的語ta dō shi to moku teki go

    transitive verb and object

Definition in Japanese

動作の作用が他の物や人に及ぶことを表す動詞。dō sa no sa yō ga hoka no mono ya hito ni oyo bu ko to o arawa su dō shi

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese term 他動詞 (tadōshi, "transitive verb") combines 他 (ta, "other") with 動詞 (dōshi, "verb"), describing a verb whose action reaches something else.

Usage tips

  • For JLPT N1 study, the pair 開ける (akeru) and 開く (aku) shows the contrast between 他動詞 (tadōshi) and 自動詞 (jidōshi).

Opposites

Related words

  • 他動詞化tadōshikatransitivizationnoun

Word lists with this word