Study Resource: List of 100 pairs of transitive and intransitive verbs in Japanese
In Japanese, many verbs come in pairs, with a version and an version. The transitive version is used when the action is done to something, while the intransitive one is used when something happens or changes by itself.
Below we've listed more than 100 examples of common transitive/intransitive verb pairs in Japanese, along with their meanings. Words are listed in the Japanese alphabetical order. To learn more about the common patterns in these verb pairs or their grammatical differences, check out our post on transitive and intransitive verbs in Japanese!
Transitive | Intransitive | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Japanese | English | Japanese | English |
開ける akeru | to open (something) | 開く aku | (something) opens |
上げる ageru | to raise (something) | 上がる agaru | (something) rises |
温める atatameru | to warm up (something) | 温まる atatamaru | (something) warms up |
当てる ateru | to hit (something) | 当たる ataru | (something) hits |
集める atsumeru | to collect (something) | 集まる atsumaru | (something) gathers |
入れる ireru | to put in (something) | 入る hairu | (someone) goes in / enters |
植える ueru | to plant (something) | 植わる uwaru | (something) is planted |
受ける ukeru | to take / receive (something) | 受かる ukaru | (someone) passes (e.g. a test) |
動かす ugokasu | to move (something) | 動く ugoku | (something) moves |
移す utsusu | to transport (something) | 移る utsuru | (something) moves |
生む umu | to produce (something) | 生まれる umareru | (someone) is born |
埋める umeru | to bury (something) | 埋まる umaru | (something) to be buried |
売る uru | to sell (something) | 売れる ureru | (something) sells |
終える・終わる oeru/owaru | to end (something) | 終わる owaru | (something) ends |
起こす okosu | to wake (someone) up | 起きる okiru | (someone) wakes up |
落とす otosu | to drop (something) | 落ちる ochiru | (something) drops |
折る oru | to fold (something) | 折れる oreru | (something) folds |
降ろす orosu | to take (something) off a vehicle | 降りる oriru | (someone) gets off |
返す・帰す kaesu | to return (something); to send (someone) home | 返る・帰る kaeru | (someone) returns |
変える kaeru | to change (something) | 変わる kawaru | (something) changes |
隠す kakusu | to hide (something) | 隠れる kakureru | (something) hides |
掛ける kakeru | to hang (something) | 掛かる kakaru | (something) hangs |
重ねる kasaneru | to pile (something) | 重なる kasanaru | (something) piles |
傾ける katamukeru | to tilt (something) | 傾く katamuku | (something) tilts |
枯らす karasu | to kill (plants) | 枯れる kareru | (plants) dies |
乾かす kawakasu | to dry (something) | 乾く kawaku | (something) dries |
聞く kiku | to listen (to something) | 聞こえる kikoeru | (something) is audible |
決める kimeru | to decide (something) | 決まる kimaru | (something) is decided |
切る kiru | to cut (something) | 切れる kireru | (something) is cut |
砕く kudaku | to crush (something) | 砕ける kudakeru | (something) is crushed |
加える kuwaeru | to add (something) | 加わる kuwawaru | (something) is added |
消す kesu | to delete (something) | 消える kieru | (something) disappears |
焦がす kogasu | to burn (something) | 焦げる kogeru | (something) burns |
こぼす kobosu | to spill (something) | こぼれる koboreru | (something) spills |
転がす korogasu | to spin (something) | 転がる korogaru | (something) spins |
壊す kowasu | to break (something) | 壊れる kowareru | (something) breaks |
下げる sageru | to lower (something) | 下がる sagaru | (something) lowers |
刺す sasu | to sting (something) | 刺さる sasaru | (something) stings |
冷ます・醒ます samasu | to chill (something) | 冷める・醒める sameru | (something) chills / gets cold |
静める shizumeru | to calm (something) | 静まる shizumaru | (something) calms |
沈める shizumeru | to sink (something) | 沈む sizumu | (something) sinks |
閉める shimeru | to close (something) | 閉まる shimaru | (something) closes |
過ごす sugosu | to spend (time) | 過ぎる sugiru | (time) passes |
進める susumeru | to advance (something) | 進む susumu | (something) advances |
育てる sodateru | to grow (something) | 育つ sodatsu | (something) grows |
染める someru | to dye (something) | 染まる somaru | (something) changes color via dye |
倒す taosu | to pull down (something) | 倒れる taoreru | (something) falls |
助ける tasukeru | to save (someone) | 助かる tasukaru | (someone) is saved |
出す dasu | to take out (something) | 出る deru | (something) comes out |
立てる tateru | to stand (something) up | 立つ tatsu | (something) stands (up) |
溜める・貯める tameru | to accumulate (something); to save (money) | 溜まる・貯まる tamaru | (something) accumulates |
縮める chijimeru | to shrink (something) | 縮む chijimu | (something) shrinks |
捕まえる tsukamaeru | to catch (something) | 捕まる tsukamaru | (something) is caught |
付ける tsukeru | to attach (something) | 付く tsuku | (something) attaches |
漬ける tsukeru | to soak (something) | 漬かる tsukaru | (something) soaks |
繋げる tsunageru | to connect (something) | 繋がる tsunagaru | (something) connects |
潰す tsubusu | to crush (something) | 潰れる tsubureru | (something) becomes crushed |
詰める tsumeru | to stuff (something) | 詰まる tsumaru | (something) becomes stuffed |
強める tsuyomeru | to escalate (something) | 強まる tsuyomaru | (something) escalates |
通す tōsu | to pass (something) | 通る tōru | (something) passes by |
溶かす tokasu | to melt (something) | 溶ける tokeru | (something) melts |
閉ざす tozasu | to close (something) | 閉じる tojiru | (something) closes |
届ける todokeru | to deliver (something) | 届く todoku | (something) gets delivered |
飛ばす tobasu | to fly (something) | 飛ぶ tobu | (something) flies |
止める tomeru | to stop (something) | 止まる tomaru | (something) stops |
取る toru | to take (something) | 取れる toreru | (something) comes off |
直す・治す naosu | to fix/to cure (something) | 直る・治る naoru | (something) fixes/cures |
失くす nakusu | to lose (something) | なくなる nakunaru | (something) goes missing |
鳴らす narasu | to ring (something) | 鳴る naru | (something) rings / chimes |
並べる naraberu | to line up (something) | 並ぶ narabu | (something) lines up |
逃がす nigasu | to let (something) go | 逃げる nigeru | (something) escapes |
抜く nuku | to pull (something) out | 抜ける nukeru | (something) falls out |
残す nokosu | to leave (something) | 残る nokoru | (something) remains |
乗せる noseru | to put (something) aboard | 乗る noru | (someone) boards |
伸ばす nobasu | to extend (something) | 伸びる nobiru | (something) extends |
始める hajimeru | to begin (something) | 始まる hajimaru | (something) begins |
挟む hasamu | to sandwich (something) | 挟まる hasamaru | (something) is stuck |
離す hanasu | to separate (something) | 離れる hanareru | (something) separates |
生やす hayasu | to grow (something) | 生える haeru | (something) grows |
冷やす hiyasu | to chill (something) | 冷える hieru | (something) gets cool |
増やす fuyasu | to increase (something) | 増える fueru | (something) increases |
減らす herasu | to decrease (something) | 減る heru | (something) decreases |
曲げる mageru | to bend (something) | 曲がる magaru | (something) bends |
混ぜる mazeru | to mix (something) | 混ざる mazaru | (something) mixes |
回す mawasu | to spin (something) | 回る mawaru | (something) spins |
見つける mitsukeru | to find (something) | 見つかる mitsukaru | (something) gets found |
見る miru | to see (something); to watch (something) | 見える mieru | (something) is/becomes visible |
向ける mukeru | to face (something) | 向く muku | (something) faces |
戻す modosu | to return (something) | 戻る modoru | (something) returns |
燃やす moyasu | to set (something) on fire | 燃える moeru | (something) combusts |
焼く yaku | to burn (something); to bake (something) | 焼ける yakeru | (something) burns; (something) bakes |
破る yaburu | to rip (something) | 破れる yabureru | (something) rips |
止める yameru | to stop (something) | 止む yamu | (something) stops |
揺らす yurasu | to swing (something) | 揺れる yureru | (something) swings |
汚す yogosu | to dirty (something) | 汚れる yogoreru | (something) gets dirty |
寄せる yoseru | to approach (something) | 寄る yoru | (something) approaches |
分ける wakeru | to divide (something) | 分かれる wakareru | (something) divides |
沸かす wakasu | to boil (water) | 沸く waku | (water) boils |
渡す watasu | to pass (something) | 渡る wataru | (something) passes |
割る waru | to crack (something) | 割れる wareru | (something) cracks |
