Hey guys, I’m studying my lessons, and at level 19 the vocab. term 自動詞 appears, which makes sense as “intransitive verb” because is a verb (動詞) that stands for itself (自), without the need for an object. So far so good. Yet, in the meaning part of the lesson it says “Intransitive verbs are actions …

Nonono, your explanation was perfectly fine! Passive is something else. The active sentence 「電気を消す」(to turn off the light) would be 「電気が消される」(the light was turned off) in passive. Please don’t think your explanation was wrong, I think it’s a really good example to explain transitivity. Just some …

This would be perfect, if “disappear” were transitive in English. Since it isn’t, the transitive versions are technically incorrect English and require a … liberal interpretation. :wink: (For explanatory purposes, it works perfectly, though.)

If I can verb a noun, I can transitive an intransitive :stuck_out_tongue: Edit: I’m not sorry at all for the gratuitous violence to English grammar that that last sentence involved.

[image] kernfel: This would be perfect, if “disappear” were transitive in English. Since it isn’t, the transitive versions are technically incorrect English and require a … liberal interpretation. :wink: (For explanatory purposes, it works perfectly, though.) Disappear can be used transitive…

[image] kernfel: This would be perfect, if “disappear” were transitive in English. Since it isn’t, the transitive versions are technically incorrect English and require a … liberal interpretation. :wink: Sure it is. transitive verb : to cause the disappearance of [image] Defini…

There were many threads in the past on transitive/intransitive verbs in Japanese, recent one [image] WaniKani verbs: transitive vs intransitive Japanese Language I’m fairly certain I understand the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs regardless of language…

[image] Leebo: “The magician disappeared the card.” “Vanished the card” may be more common, and the meaning is largely the same. :slightly_smiling_face:

I know you’re proving a point, but have you ever heard or used that construction? Everyone is different, but I have not. Typically it would be “The magician made the cat disappear.”

[image] authramethel: I know you’re proving a point, but have you ever heard or used that construction? Obviously can’t speak Leebo, but, yes, I’ve heard disappear used in the transitive manner. Many multiple times. In the end, even if it’s not a common construction, it’s still perfectly val…

I totally agree. I wish my ears knew grammar better. It just sounded so strange that I had to ask. Thanks for the update.

Lv. 19 definition of 自動詞

Japanese Language Grammar

sansarret April 19, 2020, 3:56pm 21

There were many threads in the past on transitive/intransitive verbs in Japanese, recent one

and I think the main ideas are:

It does not match English classification of transitivity exactly
It is not active/passive
We probably never get it completely, similar to は vs が problem.

:shrug:

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Lv. 19 definition of 自動詞

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