Hi there, Hope this helps with the explanation of transitive and intransitive:
TRANSITIVE: denki wo tsukeru - YOU turn on the light/electricity denki wo tsukemashita - YOU turnED on the light denki ga tsukeraremashita - the light was turned on (passive form, emphasis on the light, but YOU did it) denki wo tsuketeimasu - YOU are turning on the light, present tense (it is happening as I speak); this would not normally be found in a sentence INTRANSITIVE: denki ga tsuiteimasu - the light is turned on (no personal reference to someone doing it) denki ga tsukete arimasu - the light is on (but a reference to someone having done that, but you don't know who it was) denki ga tsuku - would have no real usage in a sentence except maybe as an example of grammar The best thing to understand Japanese verbs is to understand how this transitive and intransitive stuff works - especially in the context of 'verb-pairs'. Also, understanding the different forms (plain form, polite form, past, present, future tenses, and passive form) will help in your understanding. Cheers, Mark --- RICHARD W WILCOX <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > You wouldn't say denki o tsuku, only denki o > tsukeru. Tsuku cannot have an object, because it > means to come on (as in lights, computer, TV, etc), > whereas tsukeru means to turn on. I guess that > intransitive verb is the proper terminology, not > state of being. Tsuku is intransitive, tsukeru is > transitive (I think - I could have that backwards). > Anyway, in one case the action happens to an object, > and the other case the action happens to itself (the > subject). Hairu and ireru are good examples. Ireru, > a subject puts in an object. Hairu, the subject is > in (something), but (something) would be the object > of the preposition, not the object of the verb. The > verb can't have an object. It's a little confusing. > > -----Original Message----- > From: herry <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 16:33:28 -0400 > Subject: Re: [Japanese_Language] Re: transitive and > intransitive verbs (donataka setsumei shite kudasai) > > > Although denki can mean electricity, it looks like > you are referring to lights, which is also denki. > > it would be helpful if kanji was being used here. > > > First maybe we should address the difference > between tsuku and tsukeru. > > denki ga tsuku means a light comes on. > > denki o tsukeru means to turn on a light. > > Then what does > > denki o tsuku > > mean ? > > > > But for a state of being verb, such as tsuku, it > indicates the current state: > > tsuite imasen - not on > > haite imasu - in (within) > > How does one recognize a 'state of being' verb v.s. > a regular verb? > > > I've only heard the -te arimasu form a little, so > I'm not sure that I can explain it well, but I think > it means in the state of having been done. So denki > ga tsukete arimasu would indicate the lights have > been turned on, I think. But -te arimasu is not used > much. > > Thanks, I'll look and see if I can find some > examples. :) > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor > --------------------~--> > $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. > http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/9rHolB/TM > --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! Movies. http://au.movies.yahoo.com ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> $9.95 domain names from Yahoo!. Register anything. http://us.click.yahoo.com/J8kdrA/y20IAA/yQLSAA/9rHolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Japanese_Language/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
