Understanding Transitive and Intransitive Verbs in French: A Guide

Let’s dive into the fascinating world of verbs — specifically transitive and intransitive verbs! You might also wonder, what about direct and indirect transitive verbs? Don’t worry, we’ll cover those too!

We’ll make sure you understand how these verbs function and give you plenty of examples along the way.

What is a Transitive Verb?

A transitive verb is a verb that requires a complement to make its meaning complete. In simple terms, the action of the verb needs something to “act upon.” Without this complement, the action feels unfinished or unclear.

For example, the verb manger (to eat) is transitive because it often needs an object to clarify what’s being eaten:

• Tu manges. (You’re eating.)

While this is a grammatically correct sentence, it’s missing the information of what you’re eating. To complete the meaning, you could say:

• Tu manges des pâtes à la sauce tomate. (You’re eating pasta with tomato sauce.)

Here, the complement “des pâtes à la sauce tomate” (pasta with tomato sauce) directly answers the question “Quoi ?” (What?), making “manger” a direct transitive verb.

Il lit un journal. (He’s reading a newspaper.) — The complement “un journal” answers the question “Quoi ?” (What?).

Nous regardons un film. (We’re watching a movie.) — The complement “un film” answers the question “Quoi ?” (What?).

Direct vs. Indirect Transitive Verbs

Now, transitive verbs can be divided into direct and indirect.

Direct Transitive Verbs

A direct transitive verb accepts a direct object complement to complete the action. The object answers the questions who or what. Using our earlier example:

• Tu manges quoi ? (What are you eating?) — Des pâtes à la sauce tomate (pasta with tomato sauce).
• Il lit quoi ? (What is he reading?) — Un livre (a book).
• Elle regarde quoi ? (What is she watching?) — Un film (a movie).

Direct object complements answer “Quoi ?” (What?) or “Qui ?” (Who?).

Indirect Transitive Verbs

An indirect transitive verb, on the other hand, accepts an indirect object complement, which answers the questions to whom or to what.

For instance, take the verb “parler” (to talk):

• Elle parle à qui ? (Who is she talking to?) — Elle parle à la voisine (She’s talking to the neighbor).
• Elle parle de quoi ? (What is she talking about?) — Elle parle de ses vacances (She’s talking about her vacation).

Here, the complement “à la voisine or “de ses vacances” is an indirect object complement because it answers the question “À qui ?” (To whom?) or “De quoi ?” (About what?).

Additional examples include:

• Il donne un cadeau à son ami. (He gives a gift to his friend.) — The complement “à son ami” answers the question “À qui ?” (To whom?).
• Nous pensons à notre futur. (We’re thinking about our future.) — The complement “à notre futur” answers the question “À quoi ?” (To what?).

In each case, the indirect transitive verbs (parler, donner, penser) need an indirect object complement to complete their meaning.

Intransitive Verbs

So, what about intransitive verbs? These verbs don’t need any complements to complete their meaning. The action is complete by itself.

For example:

• On court. (We are running.)

You don’t need to specify “what or who” is being run. The action is complete on its own, making courir an intransitive verb. Another example:

• Il dort. (He is sleeping.)

In both cases, the verbs don’t require an object for the sentence to be clear and grammatically correct.

Adding Complements to Intransitive Verbs

While intransitive verbs don’t need a complement, you can still add a circumstantial complement to provide additional details, such as how or where the action is taking place. For example:

• Elle dort bien. (She sleeps well.)
• Les enfants jouent dans le parc. (The children are playing in the park.)

In the second sentence, dans le parc is a circumstantial complement of place, but it doesn’t change the fact that jouer remains an intransitive verb. It’s not a direct or indirect object complement; it simply adds extra information.

If you prefer a more visual explanation, check out our detailed video on transitive and intransitive verbs below!

A Closer Look at Verbs That Can Be Both Transitive and Intransitive

Some verbs are even more versatile — they can be both transitive and intransitive, depending on how they are used.

Sortir (to go out):

• Intransitive: Nous sortons ce soir. (We are going out tonight.)
• Transitive: Il sort le chien. (He takes the dog out.)

Entrer (to enter):

• Intransitive: Elle entre dans la pièce. (She enters the room.)
• Transitive: Il entre un mot de passe. (He enters a password.)

Changer (to change):

• Intransitive: Elle change. (She is changing.)
• Transitive: Il change de vêtements. (He changes clothes.)

Monter (to go up):

• Intransitive: Ils montent rapidement. (They go up quickly.)
• Transitive: Elle monte les escaliers. (She goes up the stairs.)

Descendre (to go down):

• Intransitive: Nous descendons. (We are going down.)
• Transitive: Il descend la poubelle. (He takes down the trash.)

Conclusion

To sum up:

• Transitive verbs require a complement to complete their meaning.
  • Direct transitive verbs need a direct object complement (answering who or what).
  • Indirect transitive verbs need an indirect object complement (answering to whom or what).
• Intransitive verbs do not require a complement to complete their meaning, though you can add circumstantial details like manner or place.

Congrats! Now you have the tools to identify and use these verbs in French. And if you’d like more practice on this topic, head over to lingoni for interactive exercises and downloadable PDF worksheets. You’ll also find vocabulary sections, podcasts, and much more to help you master French (and even German or English if you’re interested!)

À bientôt ! 😊