Transitivity and intransitivity
1. Use
The matter of when to use a transitive or an intransitive verb is complicated for most foreigners. You often use a different verb for both in Finnish.
To transitive verbs we count verbs that have an object. (Avasin oven. I opened the door. oven=object). Intransitive verbs don't have an object. (Ovi avautui. The door opened itself. ovi=subject). As you see, a transitive verb's object can become an intransitive verb's subject.
Intransitivity isn't the same as passivity. Passive sentences can have an object, but not a subject. In intransitive sentences there is a subject, but it can never be an object.
Often, translating the sentence to English will make the intransitive sentence passive.
| Transitive sentence (with an object) | Intransitive sentence (with a subject) |
| Vaihdoimme laukkuja. | Laukut vaihtuivat. |
| = We changed the bags. | = The bags were changed. |
| Näen jo rannan. | Ranta näkyy jo. |
| = I see the beach already. | = The beach is already visible. |
| Olen jo unohtanut tapauksen. | Tapaus on jo unohtunut. |
| = I've already forgotten the event. | = The event is already forgotten. |
2. Formation
There are several groups of intransitive verbs.
2.1. -u/-y
The most common ones are the verbs where an -u/-y is added.
| Transitive | Explanation | Intransitive | Explanation |
| vaihtaa | to change | vaihtua | to be changed |
| löytää | to find; to discover | löytyä | to be found; to be discovered |
| murtaa | to break (actively) | murtua | to be broken |
| nähdä | to see | näkyä | to be seen; to be visible |
| unohtaa | to forget | unohtua | to be forgotten |
| innostaa | to inspire | innostua | to become inspired |
| kaataa | to poor (to "make fall") | kaatua | to fall |
| jatkaa | to continue | jatkua | to be continued |
| kuulla | to hear | kuulua | to be heard; to be audible |
| yhdistää | to unite | yhdistyä | to be united |
| valmistaa | to complete | valmistua | to be completed |
2.2. -utu/-yty
Intransitive verbs with -utu/-yty are usually a bit different from the ones above. The intransitive one often means "to do something to oneself". In these cases, you can use the transitive one as well, when you add "itse" behind it: "Minä pesen itseni." is the same as "Minä peseydyn." "Itse" would be the object in a sentence, something that is not allowed for the intransitive verb.
| Transitive | Explanation | Intransitive | Explanation |
| korjata | to fix | korjautua | to be repaired |
| lykätä | to postpone | lykkäytyä | to be postponed |
| pestä | to wash something | peseytyä | to wash oneself |
| pukea | to dress | pukeutua | to dress oneself |
| valmistaa | to prepare | valmistautua | to prepare oneself |
| sitoa | to bind | sitoutua | to bind oneself; to commit oneself |
Sometimes, there is an alternative for the -utu/-yty intransitive verbs: -ntu/-nty, like in "haaraantua" or "jakaantua".
2.3. Intransitive basicwords
There are also verbpair whose relationship is opposite: the basic verb in intransitive (pudota), and therefrom a transitive verb is derived (pudottaa).
| Intransitive | Explanation | Transitive | Explanation |
| pudota | to fall | pudottaa | to drop |
| kadota | to be lost | kadottaa | to lose |
| saastua | to be polluted | saastuttaa | to pollute |
| selvitä | to become clear | selvittää | to clear up |
| herätä | to wake up | herättää | to wake (someone) up |
| hukkua | to be drowned | hukuttaa | to drown |
| kasvaa | to grow | kasvattaa | to raise |
| Related grammar |
| Examples of transitivity : Derivates |