Transitive and Intransitive Verbs in German

Running through a quick reminder of what role a verb plays in a sentence, it is the brain of every good sentence. It helps to tell the subject (who/what performs the verb) from the object (who/what receives the verb). All German verbs are basically classified into five categories – Auxiliary/Hilfsverben, Main/Hauptverben, Modalverben, Transitive and Intransitive verbs – with several examples belonging to each category. Find out more…

What are transitive verbs?

Transitive verbs are those categories of verbs that can always take on a direct object (Akkusativ) at will. What this means is that these verbs do not always use a direct object but nevertheless often require it. These verbs usually depend on a direct object in order for the sentence to gain balance and should they be used without a direct object, they form a phrase (an incomplete sentence). Take for instance the English verb “cook”, one can easily make the sentence “I am cooking” which would be better said when it is stated with a direct object as in “I am cooking the food“.

In German, transitive verbs are very useful in the passive voice formation because it requires an object to be turned into the subject. They also form their Perfekt tense and Plusquamperfekt tense with haben and hatten respectively.

How to identify transitive verbs in German?

Apart from the fact that these verbs are identified from their ability to be used with a direct object, one can easily identify them from the auxiliary verb they form their past participle tense with. All transitive verbs in German form their Perfekt tense with haben but that does not mean that all verbs that form their Perfekt tense with haben are transitive. Some examples of these verbs are listed below.

What are intransitive verbs?

Intransitive verbs are those verbs that cannot take on direct objects. They rather take on indirect and prepositional objects i.e dative objects and objects formed with prepositions. This group of verbs can only form the active voice and not the passive. They often form their Perfekt tense with sein. Some examples are listed below.

Verbs with both transitive and intransitive character

Some verbs have the ability to be both transitive and intransitive but under different circumstances. When some of these verbs are used as intransitive, they form a kind of passive sentence which indicates that someone else is performing the action. See examples below;