Japanese Transitive vs Intransitive Verbs: 開く vs 開ける (GENKI Lesson 18)
Many Japanese verbs come in pairs: 開く (to open, by itself) and 開ける (to open something). The first is intransitive (自動詞), the second is transitive (他動詞). Choosing the right one is a big step toward natural Japanese. You learn these pairs in GENKI Lesson 18.
- Intransitive (が) vs transitive (を)
- Common verb pairs to learn first
- Sound patterns that help you remember
- Describing a state with intransitive verb + ている
Contents
Start with the vocabulary
Let’s learn the key words from this lesson first. You will see them again in the examples below. Say the answer before you flip. Turn the readings off to test yourself.
Intransitive vs transitive
| Intransitive (自動詞) | Transitive (他動詞) | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Something happens (by itself) | Someone does something to something |
| Particle | Thing + が | Person が/は + thing + を |
| Example | ドアが開きます。ドアが あきます。 (The door opens.) | 私がドアを開けます。わたしが ドアを あけます。 (I open the door.) |
Can you put を before the verb? Then it is transitive. ✓ 電気を消す. ✗ 電気を消える.
Common pairs to learn first
| Intransitive (が) | Transitive (を) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 開くあく | 開けるあける | open |
| 閉まるしまる | 閉めるしめる | close |
| 始まるはじまる | 始めるはじめる | begin |
| 終わるおわる | 終えるおえる | end |
| 付くつく | 付けるつける | turn on |
| 消えるきえる | 消すけす | turn off |
| 入るはいる | 入れるいれる | enter / put in |
| 出るでる | 出すだす | go out / take out |
| 壊れるこわれる | 壊すこわす | break |
| 落ちるおちる | 落とすおとす | fall / drop |
| 汚れるよごれる | 汚すよごす | get dirty / make dirty |
| 起きるおきる | 起こすおこす | wake up / wake someone up |
Patterns that help
There is no single rule for all verbs, but these sound patterns cover many pairs.
| Intransitive | Transitive | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -aru | -eru | 始まる/始める、集まる/集める、変わる/変えるはじまる/はじめる、あつまる/あつめる、かわる/かえる |
| -reru | -su | 壊れる/壊す、汚れる/汚すこわれる/こわす、よごれる/よごす |
| -eru | -asu | 出る/出す、燃える/燃やすでる/だす、もえる/もやす |
| -iru | -osu | 起きる/起こす、落ちる/落とすおきる/おこす、おちる/おとす |
Some pairs go the other way. 開く (intransitive) / 開ける (transitive), 付く / 付ける. Learn each pair with an example sentence.
Intransitive + ている: a state
Use an intransitive verb + ている to describe the state something is in now.
Compare: 窓を開けている means someone is opening the window (an action in progress).
Final check: 8 questions
Choose the right verb for each sentence. Get 7 or more right, and you have a good feel for verb pairs!
What’s next
- Sonkeigo: honorific verbs like いらっしゃる
- The passive: 〜られる
- More Everyday Expressions: 〜てしまう
Practice speaking with a real teacher
Verb pairs are easiest to learn by describing what you see. On a video call, ask a teacher to do small actions (open a book, turn off a light) while you describe them. On italki, you can find teachers who use GENKI and book a short trial lesson.
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