Transitive verbs in Italian
Transitive verbs are all verbs that take a direct object. This means that their action “transits” onto something else.
A direct object answers the questions: CHI? (who?) CHE COSA? (what?)
Look at the example below:
Leonardo suona la chitarra.
Leonardo plays the guitar.
In this case, the action of suonare has a direct object (che cosa? – what?): la chitarra (the guitar).
Here is another example with the question, “Chi?”
Ho chiamato (chi?) Paolo.
I called (who?) Paolo.
Intransitive verbs in Italian
Intransitive verbs, on the other hand, do not need a direct object, as the action “stays” on the subject. It can, however, have indirect objects.
These, however, never answer the questions Chi? Che cosa? as direct objects do.
Have a look at the examples below:
Davide è andato in Francia.
Davide went to France.
Here, the action of andare only concerns the subject, Davide. It has no direct object. However, it has an indirect object that answers the question, Dove? (Where?) in Francia (to France).
Ha parlato con Francesco.
She/he spoke with Francesco.
This is another example of an intransitive verb, as the question it answers is Con chi? (With whom?).
Marco è uscito.
Marco went out.
In this case, the verb uscire has no object and is therefore intransitive.
Practice with Quizlet
Here's a set of flashcards and quizzes to practice this grammar topic.Transitive vs. Intransitive: How to recognize them
As we’ve seen, transitive verbs always need a direct object (chi? che cosa?), while intransitive verbs can have either no object or an indirect object (con chi? dove? come?).
Another way to recognize a transitive verb is to transform the sentence into a passive form, with the object becoming the subject. If you can do it, then the verb used is transitive.
Leonardo suona la chitarra.
Leonardo plays the guitar.
becomes
La chitarra è suonata da Leonardo.
The guitar is played by Leonardo.
Nina cucina la pasta.
Nina cooks pasta.
becomes
La pasta è cucinata da Nina.
The pasta is cooked by Nina.
If you try doing this with an intransitive verb, you’ll realize it isn’t possible, as they do not have a direct object that can be transformed into a subject!
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