Korean Grammar : Transitive verbs and Intransitive verbs

 

Transitive verbs require a direct object within a sentence; whereas, intransitive verbs don’t need a direct object. Therefore, some transitives verbs can play a role of causative verbs by making the direct object which can be either a person or something do an action.

 

For example)

 

저는 숙제를 끝내요.

In this sentence, the verb끝내요 is a transitive verb because it requires a direct object 숙제

 

학교가 끝났어요.

In this sentence, the verb 끝나요 is an intransitive verb because it doesn’t require a direct object.

 

 

In summary, any verb that requires an direct object within a sentence is called a transitive verb.

 

Not always, but generally, the passive markers: 이, 히, 리, or,  기 can be also the markers for  transitive verbs by adding one of these markers to the infinitive stem of intransitive verbs. Sometimes, other syllables such as 우,  으,  or the vowelㅜ, is used to form a transitive verb or the words such as 내다 denotes a transitive verb.

 

For example)

 

줄다 (intransitive)  to decrease by itself - 줄이다 (transitive) to decrease something

앉다 (intransitive) to sit  –  앉히다 (transitive) to sit someone

오르다 (intransitive) to go up – 올리다 (transitive) to make something go up

숨다 (intransitive) to hide  – 숨기다 (transitive) to hide something

뜨다 (intransitive) to float – 띄우다 (transitive) to float something

모이다 (intransitive) to gather oneself– 모으다 (transitive) to collect something

바뀌다 (intransitive) to change by itself – 바꾸다 (transitive) to change something

나다 (intransitive) to appear/show up oneself - 내다 (transitive) to make something appear

 

 

 

 

 

Table of transitive verbs and intransitive verbs

 

Intransitive verbs	Conjugated form	Transitive verbs	Conjugated form
앉다 to sit	앉아요	앉히다 to sit someone to make someone sit	앉혀요
먹다 to eat	먹어요	먹이다 to feed someone to make someone fed	먹여요
입다 to wear	입어요	입히다 to dress up someone to make someone get dressed	입혀요
씻다 to wash oneself	씻어요	씻기다 to wash someone to make someone washed	씻겨요
줄다 to decrease by itself	줄어요	줄이다 to decrease/shorten something to make something short	줄여요
늘다 to increase by itself to extend by itself	늘어요	늘이다 to make something long   늘리다 to make something increase	늘려요
자다 to sleep	자요	재우다 to make someone sleep	재워요
깨다 to wake up	깨요	깨우다 to wake someone up to make someone wake	깨워요
죽다 to die	죽어요	죽이다 to kill to make someone die	죽여요
살다 to live	살아요	살리다 to save someone’s life to make someone live	살려요
날다 to fly	날아요	날리다 to make something fly	날려요
숨다 to hide	숨어요	숨기다 to hide something to make something hidden	숨겨요
웃다 to laugh/to smile	웃어요	웃기다 to make someone laugh to be hilarious	웃겨요
고장나다 something is brokend itself	고장나요	고장내다 to make something broken	고장내요
모이다 to gather oneself	모여요	모으다 to gather something to make something gathered	모아요
놀다 to play	놀아요	놀리다 to make fun of someone	놀려요
끓다 to boil itself	끓어요	끓이다 to boil something to make something boiled	끓여요
끝(이) 나다 finish itself	끝나요	끝(을) 내다 to finish something to make something finished	끝내요
나다 to appear itself	나요	내다 to make something appear, to submit something, to pay something	내요
오르다 to go up	올라요	올리다 to lift something to make something lifted	올려요
바뀌다 to change itself	바뀌어요	바꾸다 to change something	바꿔요
울다 to cry	울어요	울리다 to make someone cry	울려요
식다 to become cold by itself	식어요	식히다 to make something cold	식혀요
뜨다 to float itself	떠요	띄우다 to float something to make something floated	띄워요
흐르다 to flow	흘러요	흘리다 to shed some liquid	흘려요
돌다 to turn	돌아요	돌리다 to turn something to make something turn	돌려요
자라다 to grow	자라요	키우다 to bring children up to raise children	키워요
** 보이다 to be seen You look like	보여요	보다 to see something to watch something	봐요
** 들리다 to be heard You sound like	들려요	듣다 to hear something to listen to something	들어요
…	…	…	…

 

 

EX)

그는 울었어요. He cried.

그는 친구를 울렸어요. He made his friend cry.

 

색이 바뀌었어요. The color has changed (itself).

색을 바꿨어요. I changed the color.

 

숙제가 끝났어요. The homework finished (itself).

숙제를 끝냈어요. I finished the homework.

 

바지가 줄었어요. The pants decreased (itself).

바지를 줄였어요. I decreased the pants.

 

도둑이 지하실에 숨었어요. The thief hid (himself/herself) in the basement.

도둑을 지하실에 숨겼어요. I hid the thief (himself/herself) in the basement.

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise 1) Fill in the blanks with the appropriate verbs.

 

1) 치마가 너무 커서 치마를                       . (줄다 vs. 줄이다)

    I shortened my skirt because it was too big.

 

 

 

2) 라면을                     서 먹었어요. (끓다 vs. 끓이다)

    I boiled ramen and ate it.

 

 

 

3) 에너지  드링크를 마셔서                     !  (힘이 나다 vs. 힘을 내다)

    I drank some energy drink so I had some energy!

 

 

 

4) 카드 한 장을 다른 카드로                        . (바뀌다 vs. 바꾸다)

    (다른 카드 another card)

    I changed a card into another card.

      

 

 

5) 그들은 생활 습관을                      .  (바뀌다 vs. 바꾸다)

    (생활 습관 daily habbits)

    They changed their daily habbits.

 

 

6) 아이를                      는 것은 어려워요. (자다 vs. 재우다)

    Putting a child into sleep is difficult.

 

 

 

7) 돈을                       야 해요. (모이다 vs. 모으다)

    I need to save money.

 

 

 

8) 숙제를 꼭                    게요!  (나다 vs. 내다)

    I will submit my homework for sure!

 

 

 

9) 파리를                      지 마! (죽다 vs. 죽이다)

      Don’t kill a fly!

 

 

 

10) 그 구조원은 물에 빠진 사람을                       . (살다 vs. 살리다)

      (구조원 a life guard, 물에 빠지다 to be drowned)

      The life guard saved the drowned person.

 

 

 

11) 감정을                     지 말고 표현하세요! (숨다 vs. 숨기다)

      (표현하다 to express, 감정 emotion)

      Don’t hide your emotion and express it!

 

 

 

12) 그는 그를 의자에                    .  (앉다 vs. 앉히다)

      He sits him on a chair.

 

 

 

13) 그녀는 아이를                     고 (씻다 vs. 씻기다)  옷을                . (입다 vs. 입히다)

      She washed and dressed her child.

 

 

 

 

14) 저는 제 친구를                     . (깨다 vs. 깨우다)

      I woke my friend up.

 

 

 

15) 저희는 연을                      고 있어요. (날다 vs. 날리다) (연 kite)

      We are flying a kite.

 

 

 

16) 저희는 아이들을 위해 선물을                   . (숨다 vs. 숨기다)

     (선물 present/gift)

     We hid the gifts for children.

 

 

 

17) 그는 컴퓨터를 고장                   . 그래서 컴퓨터가 고장                      .

     (고장나다 vs. 고장내다)

      He broke his computer.

 

 

 

 

18) 그들을             지 마! (놀다 vs. 놀리다)

      Don’t laugh at them!

 

 

 

 

19) 제 가방을 선반 위에                      주세요. (오르다 vs. 올리다)

      Please lift up my bag on the shelf.

 

 

 

 

20) 그를              서    그가                       . (울다 vs. 울리다)

      He cried because I made him cry.

 

 

 

 

21) 종이 비행기를 물에                    .  (뜨다 vs. 띄우다)

     I float my paper boat in the water.

 

 

 

22) 땀을                     .  (흐르다 vs. 흘리다)

      I am sweating.

 

 

 

23) 그는 아침을                    . (먹다 vs. 먹이다)

      He eats breakfast.

 

 

 

 

24) 그녀는 라디오를                    . (듣다 vs. 들리다)

      She listens to the radio