Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Core Concept

Transitive (他動詞) — someone does something to an object → uses を

Intransitive (自動詞) — something happens on its own → uses が (or は, に)

Patterns

-aru ending → intransitive: 止まる, 閉まる, 始まる

-eru ending → often transitive (the -aru counterpart): 止める, 閉める, 始める

-su ending → almost always transitive: 壊す, 出す, 消す

-reru ending → often intransitive: 壊れる, 切れる, 割れる

Examples

Transitive (を)	Meaning	Intransitive (が)	Meaning
開ける (あける)	to open [sth]	開く (あく)	[sth] opens
閉める (しめる)	to close [sth]	閉まる (しまる)	[sth] closes
出す (だす)	to take out	出る (でる)	to come out
入れる (いれる)	to put in	入る (はいる)	to enter
消す (けす)	to erase/turn off	消える (きえる)	to disappear
壊す (こわす)	to break [sth]	壊れる (こわれる)	[sth] breaks

Combining with Tense and Politeness

	Plain Non-past	Plain Past	Polite Non-past	Polite Past
Transitive 閉める	閉める	閉めた	閉めます	閉めました
Intransitive 閉まる	閉まる	閉まった	閉まります	閉まりました