Transitive and Intransitive Verbs Transitive Verbs

Transitive verb has an object that can be direct (verb + noun) or indirect (verb + preposition + noun).

Manger quelque chose - eat something
Dire quelque chose - say something

Some transitive verbs can be used without an object (je mange) while others need the object to be complete (je donne).

Intransitive Verbs

Do not take an object.

Aller - you cannot aller quelque chose.

Some verbs that can be both transitive and intransitive:

Fermer (to close)
Perdre (to lose)
Sortir (to go out)
Monter (to climb up)
Descendre (to come down)
Passer (to pass, to stop at)

Descendre, monter, passer, rentrer (go back home), and sortir take être when intransitive and avoir when transitive.

Intransitive (verb in bold)

Cette porte ne ferme pas. This door does not close.
Il a joué et ill a perdu. He played and he lost.
Nous allons sortir samedi. We're going to go out Saturday.

Ëtre and verb in bold for verbs that take être when intransitive.

Elle est passée à la boulangerie. She went by the bakery.
Nous sommes descendus dans un hôtel trois étoiles. We stayed in a three-star hotel.

Transitive (object in bold)

Ferme la porte. Close the door.
Elle a perdu ses clés. She lost her keys.
N'oublie pas de sortir la poubelle. Don't forget to take the garbage out.

Avoir and object in bold for verbs that take avoir when transitive.

Ils ont passé un bon week-end. They had/spent a good weekend.
As-tu descendu ta valise? Did you bring your suitcase down?

Verbs followed by a preposition

Difference between verb + infinitve and verb + noun.
A verb that takes a preposition before an infinitive may not require one before a noun.

Examples (preposition + infinitive or noun in bold)

Chercher -
Il cherche à s'enfuir. He's trying to escape.
Il cherche la sortie. He is looking for the exit.

Choisir -
Il a choisi de prendre ses vacances en mai. He chose to take his vacation in May.
Nous avons choisi notre déssert. We have chosen our dessert.

Vocabulary is essential. In English some verbs are not separable from their preposition without changing meaning (to knock down, to break up). French verbs have different translations in cases like this (casser-to break, rompre-to break up). Translating the verb without the preposition then adding the preposition is incorrect in these cases.

"Empty prepositions"

Prepositions between a conjugated verb that don't have a specific meaning: à and de (do not mean at or to or from in these cases).

Verbs never followed by a preposition

Modal Verbs (vouloir, devoir, pouvoir)(verb + infinitive in bold)

Il veut réussir. He wants to succeed.

Ils doivent se lever tôt. They must get up early
Tu ne peux pas sortir. You can't go out.

Common verbs followed directly by the infinitive.

faire (to do)
laisser (to let)
vouloir (to want)
aimer (to like/love)
détester (to hate)
espérer (to hope)
savoir (to know)
falloir (to be necessary-impersonal)
valoir mieux (to be better - impersonal)
faillir (to almost do)
oser (to dare)
paraître (to seem)
sembler (to seem)

Examples (verb and infinitive in bold)

Vous semblez hésiter. You seem to hesitate.
La police l'a laissé passer. The police let him pass.
Il a failli tomber de sa chaise. He almost fell off his chair.

Verbs followed by the infinitive that express movement

aller - to go (including as used in the immediate future)
descendre - to go down(stairs)
monter - to go up(stairs)
partir - to leave to
sortir - to go out to
venir - to come to

Examples (verb and infinitive in bold

Sortons dîner au restaurant ce soir. Let's go out to eat tonight.
Il est parti faire du jogging. He left to go jogging.

Venir de expresses recent past: to have just done something. Not to be confused with the regular use of venir: to come.

Verbs of perception such as regarder and entendre followed by the infinitive

J'ai senti mes jambes faiblir. I felt my legs weaken.
Nous écoutons les oiseaux chanter. We listen to the birds sing.

Verbs + the preposition à

Common French verbs that require the preposition à

apprendre à - to learn to
arriver à - to learn to
avoir à - must, to have to
avoir du mal à - to have difficulties in
chercher à - to try to
commencer à - to begin to
continuer à - to continue to
hésiter à - to hesitate to
parvenir à - to manage to
passer son temps à - to devote oneself to
réussir à - to succeed in
se consacrer à - to devote oneself to
s'exercer à - to practice (-ing)
s'habituer à - to get used to
se mettre à - to start to, to begin to
se résigner à - to give in to
servir à - to be used to
tenir à - to insist on

Examples (verb + preposition + infinitive in bold)

Il s'habituera à vivre seul. He will get used to living alone.
J'apprends à skier. I am learning to ski.
Elle passe so temps à regarder la télé. She spends all her time watching television.

Verbs + the preposition de

accepter de - to agree to
arrêter de - to stop (-ing)
cesser de - to stop (-ing)
choisir de - to choose to
craindre de - to fear to
décider de - to decide to
essayer de - to try to
finir de - to stop (-ing)
mériter de - to deserve to
oublier de - to forget to
parler de - to talk about (-ing)
proposer de - to offer to
refuser de - to refuse to
regretter de (+ past infinitive) - to regret/to be sorry (to have done)
risquer de - to risk (-ing)
s'abstenir de - to refrain from (-ing)
se charger de - to take on, accept (-ing)
se dépêcher de - to hurry to
se souvenir de - to remember to
s'excuser de - to apologize for (-ing); to excuse one for (-ing)
suffire de (impersonal) - to suffice to, to be enough to

Examples (verb + preposition + infinitive in bold)

Il méritait de recevoir le premier prix. He deserved to receive the first prize.
Cesse de te plaindre. Stop complaining.
Il a choisi d'apprendre le français. He chose to learn French.
Il risque de pleuvoir; prends ton parapluie. It may rain; take your umbrella.

Sequence of verbs with and without infinitives

In a sentence with the linking words quand, si, or parce que, each verb has a subject expressed, even if it is the same for all verbs in the sentence.

Examples (verbs in bold)

Je viendrai quand je serai prête. I will come when I am ready.
Elle le fera si son père est d'accord. She will do it if her father agrees.

When several verbs follow each other without si, quand, parce que, etc. only the first verb is conjugated and the following verbs must remain in the infinitive. Some verbs require an "empty preposition" before an infinitive.

Examples (verbs in bold)

Elle voudrait inviter ses amis. She would like to invite her friends.
Leur fils semble grandir rapidement. Their son seems to grow up quickly.
J'oublie toujours de prendre un parapluie. I always forget to take an umbrella.
Nous hésitons à acheter une nouvelle voiture. We hesitate to buy a new car.

Verbs of perception

With verbs of perception (regarder, entendre, etc.) even though each verb has its own subject, subsequent verbs must remain in the infinitive.

Elle regarde le bébé dormir. She watches the baby sleep.

Elle is the subject of regarde, but le bébé is the subject of dormir.

If the main verb is in a compound tense with avoir, the past participle agrees with the direct object of the main verb: for feminine use la and for masculine and plural direct object pronouns use les.

Tu as entendu les enfants? Je les ai entendus rire. Did you hear the kids? I heard them laugh.
Vous avez vu la lune se lever? Oui, je l'ai vue se lever.

Six common verbs of perception in French

apercevoir - to see (from a distance) Past participle - aperçu
écouter - to listen to Past participle - écouté
entendre - to hear Past participle - entendu
regarder - to look at Past participle - regardé
sentir - to feel Past participle - senti
voir - to see Past participle - vu

A construction with the relative pronoun qui + conjugated verb can be used instead of the infinitive after a verb of perception. Slight difference in mean when this construction is used. Denotes complete simultaneity. Infinitive construction does not necessarily indicate this which makes it more versatile.

Examples (verbs + qui in bold)

Vous avez vu la lune qui se levait. You saw the moon (that was) rising.
Tu as entendu les enfants qui riaient. You heard the kids (who were) laughing.
Elle regarde le bébé qui dort. She watches the baby (who is) sleeping.

	Created by Breann Summers over 9 years ago

French (Grammar) Note on Transitive and Intransitive Verbs, created by Breann Summers on 18/05/2015.