WordGarden.iotransitive
B2Pronunciation
UK
- /trˈænsɪtˌɪv/
US
Meanings
Adjective
of a verb, taking a direct object
of a relation, carrying through links in sequence
Beyond the definition
Imagine you're throwing a ball. You throw the ball, and the ball is what receives the action. That is the basic idea behind a transitive verb. In grammar, "transitive" usually describes a verb that takes a direct object, so the action moves from the doer to something else.
For example, in "I read a book," "book" is the direct object. In "She opened the window," "window" is the direct object. Some verbs can be used both ways depending on the sentence. In grammar, spotting this pattern helps you see how the action connects the subject to an object.
The word "transitive" comes from Latin roots meaning "to carry across." In everyday English study, it is used most often in grammar. A transitive verb is a verb used with a direct object, so the action "carries across" from the subject to the thing or person affected.
Think of it like an arrow: the subject sends out the action, and the direct object is the target.
Here are some examples:
- She painted a portrait. ("Painted" is transitive; "portrait" is the object.)
- The dog chased the ball. ("Chased" is transitive; "ball" is the object.)
- He wrote a letter. ("Wrote" is transitive; "letter" is the object.)
- They built a house. ("Built" is transitive; "house" is the object.)
To test for this pattern, ask "what?" or "whom?" after the verb. If the sentence gives a direct object, the verb is being used transitively.
Contrast this with intransitive use, where no direct object follows, as in "She sleeps" or "The baby cried." Also, some verbs can be transitive in one sentence and intransitive in another. For example, "She reads every night" has no direct object, but "She reads novels" does. So "transitive" often describes how a verb is used in a sentence, not always a fixed label for the word itself.
Outside grammar, "transitive" can also mean "passing across" or describe a chain-like relation in logic and mathematics, but that is less common in everyday learning. Most of the time, if you see "transitive" in an English lesson, it is talking about verbs that take a direct object.
Examples
- 1
Grammar term
The teacher explained that "need" is transitive, so it normally has an object after it.
- 2
Verb flexibility
Some verbs, like "open," can be transitive in one sentence and not transitive in another.
- 3
Dictionary labels
The dictionary labels "discuss" as transitive, which is why we say "discuss a problem," not "discuss about a problem."
- Grammarlabel a verb as transitive
show that the verb is used directly with an object
See also
Similar
- object-taking
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- transitive verb
- transitive use
- takes a direct object
Word family
- transitively
- transitivity
Explore
- direct object
- verb valency
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- transitivenounadjective
Forms
- transitivespluralnounadjective