Transitive Verbs

A1 Eiken 3 Beginner

verb + object

Explanation

A transitive verb needs an object after it. The object is the person or thing that receives the action.

In "She reads a book every night," "She" is the subject, "reads" is the transitive verb, and "a book" is the object. "Every night" tells us when she reads. In Japanese, the object is often easy to leave out, but English usually needs it after a transitive verb.

Examples

  • I like coffee. 私はコーヒーが好きです。
  • She reads a book every night. 彼女は毎晩本を読みます。
  • We bought a new car. 私たちは新しい車を買いました。
  • Do you need a pen? ペンが必要ですか。
  • Please close the door. ドアを閉めてください。
  • He doesn't eat meat. 彼は肉を食べません。

Common Mistakes

Japanese learners often leave out the object. For example, "I bought yesterday." is wrong. Say "I bought a new notebook yesterday." Instead, keep the object after the transitive verb.

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