Verbs · N4
Transitive and intransitive verb pairs
See the difference between a change happening and someone causing it.
In short
Many Japanese verbs come in pairs: 開く/開ける, 閉まる/閉める, つく/つける, 消える/消す. The intransitive member describes the thing changing; the transitive member describes an actor changing it.
How it works
ドアが開きました focuses on the door opening. 店員がドアを開けました introduces the person who opened it and marks ドア with を.
Useful contrast
The pair often matters more than English, where one verb such as “open” can serve both roles.
Examples
電気がつきました。
The light came on.
電気をつけました。
I turned on the light.
Common pitfall
There is no perfect spelling rule for predicting pairs. Learn common pairs together with their particles and an example.