Lesson 32
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
الفعل المتعدي واللازم
Transitive verbs (مُتَعَدٍّ) take a direct object in the accusative; intransitive verbs (لَازِم) do not. Knowing this distinction helps you understand which nouns take case endings and why.
Transitive vs Intransitive
TypeArabicTransliterationMeaning
Transitive (مُتَعَدٍّ)كَتَبَkatabawrote (something)
Transitive (مُتَعَدٍّ)قَرَأَqaraʾaread (something)
Transitive (مُتَعَدٍّ)أَكَلَakalaate (something)
Intransitive (لَازِم)جَلَسَjalasasat (no object)
Intransitive (لَازِم)نَامَnāmaslept (no object)
Intransitive (لَازِم)ذَهَبَdhahabawent (no direct object)
Verb + Preposition Combinations
CombinationArabicMeaning
ذَهَبَ + إِلَىذَهَبَ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِwent to the mosque
نَظَرَ + إِلَىنَظَرَ إِلَى الْكِتَابِlooked at the book
جَلَسَ + فِيجَلَسَ فِي الْفَصْلِsat in the classroom
قَرَأَ الطَّالِبُ الدَّرْسَ (مُتَعَدٍّ) جَلَسَ الْأَسْتَاذُ فِي الْفَصْلِ (لَازِم)
Qaraʾa ṭ-ṭālibu d-darsa Jalasa l-ustādhu fī l-faṣl
The student read the lesson. The teacher sat in the classroom.
أَكَلَ الْوَلَدُ الطَّعَامَ ذَهَبَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى السُّوقِ
Akala l-waladu ṭ-ṭaʿāma Dhahaba r-rajulu ilā s-sūq
The boy ate the food. The man went to the market.
- Transitive verb: the direct object takes accusative (fatḥa/tanwīn fatḥ).
- Intransitive verb: no accusative object only nominative subject (+ optional prepositional phrase).
- Some verbs become transitive via a preposition: ذَهَبَ إِلَى (went to) the object of the preposition is genitive.
- Test: can you insert "it" after the verb in English? If yes, it is likely transitive (read it, ate it). If no, intransitive (slept, sat).
- Doubly transitive verbs (مُتَعَدٍّ إِلَى مَفْعُولَيْنِ): أَعْطَى (gave) takes two accusative objects أَعْطَيْتُ الطَّالِبَ كِتَاباً.