N3 · 40 words

Verb pairs: doing it and it happening

One verb for doing something to a thing, one for the thing changing by itself.

Most Japanese verbs of change come in pairs. One says that someone does something to a thing and takes を; the other says that the change happens and takes が. English often uses one verb for both — "I broke the plate", "the plate broke" — so learners reach for the wrong half: 皿(さら)を割(わ)る, but 皿(さら)が割(わ)れる. The endings come in families (〜す against 〜る, 〜める against 〜まる, 〜げる against 〜がる), and learning the family helps more than learning each pair on its own. The two halves of every pair stand next to each other below.

The words

Verb (40)

直(なお)すto repair; to correctVerbN4

父(ちち)が壊(こわ)れた椅子(いす)を直(なお)してくれた。My father fixed the broken chair for me.

Takes を; its partner is 直(なお)る. For curing an illness, 治(なお)す.

直(なお)るto be repaired; to be put rightVerbN4

修理(しゅうり)に出(だ)した時計(とけい)がやっと直(なお)った。The watch I sent off for repair has finally been fixed.

Takes が; its partner is 直(なお)す.

割(わ)るto break; to split; to divideVerbN4

皿(さら)を落(お)として割(わ)ってしまった。I dropped a plate and broke it.

Takes を; its partner is 割(わ)れる. Used for glass, plates and eggs, which shatter or split.

割(わ)れるto break; to crack (of glass, a plate)VerbN3

強(つよ)い風(かぜ)で窓(まど)ガラスが割(わ)れた。The window pane broke in the strong wind.

Takes が; its partner is 割(わ)る.

残(のこ)すto leave (behind); to leave uneatenVerbN3

量(りょう)が多(おお)くて、ご飯(はん)を少(すこ)し残(のこ)してしまった。The portion was large, so I left a little of the rice.

Takes を; its partner is 残(のこ)る.

残(のこ)るto remain; to be left overVerbN4

仕事(しごと)が残(のこ)っているので、今日(きょう)は帰(かえ)りが遅(おそ)くなる。I still have work left, so I will be home late today.

Takes が; its partner is 残(のこ)す.

伸(の)ばすto stretch; to lengthen; to grow (hair)VerbN3

髪(かみ)を肩(かた)まで伸(の)ばすつもりだ。I intend to grow my hair down to my shoulders.

Takes を; its partner is 伸(の)びる.

伸(の)びるto grow longer; to stretch; to improveVerbN3

夏休(なつやす)みの間(あいだ)に、息子(むすこ)の背(せ)が5センチも伸(の)びた。My son grew five centimetres over the summer holidays.

Takes が; its partner is 伸(の)ばす.

折(お)るto break (a bone, a stick); to foldVerbN4

兄(あに)はスキーで転(ころ)んで、足(あし)の骨(ほね)を折(お)った。My older brother fell while skiing and broke his leg.

Takes を; its partner is 折(お)れる. Used for long, thin things that snap, and for folding paper.

折(お)れるto break; to snap (of something long)VerbN3

台風(たいふう)で庭(にわ)の木(き)の枝(えだ)が折(お)れた。A branch of the tree in the garden snapped in the typhoon.

Takes が; its partner is 折(お)る.

流(なが)すto let flow; to wash away; to flushVerbN3

トイレを使(つか)ったら、水(みず)を流(なが)してください。Please flush after using the toilet.

Takes を; its partner is 流(なが)れる.

流(なが)れるto flow; to runVerbN3

町(まち)の真(ま)ん中(なか)を大(おお)きな川(かわ)が流(なが)れている。A large river runs through the middle of the town.

Takes が; its partner is 流(なが)す.

見(み)つけるto findVerbN4

駅(えき)の近(ちか)くで安(やす)いアパートを見(み)つけた。I found a cheap flat near the station.

Takes を; its partner is 見(み)つかる.

見(み)つかるto be found; to turn upVerbN4

なくした鍵(かぎ)が、かばんの底(そこ)から見(み)つかった。The key I had lost turned up at the bottom of my bag.

Takes が; its partner is 見(み)つける. The natural verb when you were not looking just then.

崩(くず)すto knock down; to upset (your health); to break (a note)VerbN3

無理(むり)をして、体調(たいちょう)を崩(くず)してしまった。I overdid it and made myself ill.

Takes を; its partner is 崩(くず)れる. Also changing a large note into smaller ones: 一万円札(いちまんえんさつ)を崩(くず)す.

崩(くず)れるto collapse; to crumble; to turn bad (of the weather)VerbN3

午後(ごご)から天気(てんき)が崩(くず)れるらしいので、傘(かさ)を持(も)っていこう。The weather is supposed to turn this afternoon, so let's take umbrellas.

Takes が; its partner is 崩(くず)す.

写(うつ)すto copy; to take (a photo)VerbN3

休(やす)んだ日(ひ)の授業(じゅぎょう)のノートを、友達(ともだち)に写(うつ)させてもらった。A friend let me copy their notes from the lesson I missed.

Takes を; its partner is 写(うつ)る. On a screen or in a mirror the kanji is 映(うつ)す.

写(うつ)るto come out (in a photo); to be in (a picture)VerbN3

この写真(しゃしん)には家族(かぞく)全員(ぜんいん)が写(うつ)っている。The whole family is in this photo.

Takes が; its partner is 写(うつ)す.

建(た)てるto buildVerbN4

祖父(そふ)は若(わか)いころ、自分(じぶん)で家(いえ)を建(た)てた。My grandfather built his own house when he was young.

Takes を; its partner is 建(た)つ. Only for buildings; a plan is 立(た)てる.

建(た)つto be built; to go up (of a building)VerbN3

駅前(えきまえ)に新(あたら)しいビルが建(た)った。A new building has gone up in front of the station.

Takes が; its partner is 建(た)てる.

抜(ぬ)くto pull out; to remove; to skip (a meal)VerbN3

忙(いそが)しくて、昼(ひる)ご飯(はん)を抜(ぬ)いてしまった。I was so busy that I skipped lunch.

Takes を; its partner is 抜(ぬ)ける.

抜(ぬ)けるto come out; to fall out; to go throughVerbN3

最近(さいきん)、髪(かみ)の毛(け)がよく抜(ぬ)ける。Lately a lot of my hair has been falling out.

Takes が; its partner is 抜(ぬ)く.

詰(つ)めるto pack; to fill; to move up (to make room)VerbN3

旅行(りょこう)の前(まえ)の晩(ばん)に、スーツケースに服(ふく)を詰(つ)めた。The night before the trip, I packed my clothes into the suitcase.

Takes を; its partner is 詰(つ)まる.

詰(つ)まるto be blocked; to be packed fullVerbN3

台所(だいどころ)の流(なが)しが詰(つ)まって、水(みず)が流(なが)れない。The kitchen sink is blocked and the water will not drain.

Takes が; its partner is 詰(つ)める. Also a blocked nose: 鼻(はな)が詰(つ)まる.

傷(きず)つけるto hurt (someone's feelings); to damageVerbN3

うっかり言(い)った一言(ひとこと)で、友達(ともだち)を傷(きず)つけてしまった。A careless remark of mine hurt my friend.

Takes を; its partner is 傷(きず)つく.

傷(きず)つくto be hurt; to be damagedVerbN3

彼女(かのじょ)は先生(せんせい)の言葉(ことば)に深(ふか)く傷(きず)ついた。She was deeply hurt by the teacher's words.

Takes が; its partner is 傷(きず)つける.

広(ひろ)げるto spread out; to open out; to widenVerbN3

公園(こうえん)の芝生(しばふ)にシートを広(ひろ)げて、お弁当(べんとう)を食(た)べた。We spread a sheet on the grass in the park and ate our packed lunches.

Takes を; its partner is 広(ひろ)がる.

広(ひろ)がるto spread; to stretch outVerbN3

火(ひ)はあっという間(ま)に隣(となり)の家(いえ)にも広(ひろ)がった。The fire quickly spread to the house next door as well.

Takes が; its partner is 広(ひろ)げる.

転(ころ)がすto roll (something)VerbN2

子(こ)どもたちが雪(ゆき)の玉(たま)を転(ころ)がして、大(おお)きくしている。The children are rolling a snowball along to make it bigger.

Takes を; its partner is 転(ころ)がる.

転(ころ)がるto roll; to tumbleVerbN3

ボールが坂(さか)の下(した)まで転(ころ)がっていった。The ball rolled all the way to the bottom of the slope.

Takes が; its partner is 転(ころ)がす.

沈(しず)むto sink; to set (of the sun)VerbN3

夕日(ゆうひ)が海(うみ)に沈(しず)むのを、二人(ふたり)で見(み)ていた。The two of us watched the sun set into the sea.

Takes が; its partner is 沈(しず)める.

沈(しず)めるto sink (something); to lower (into water)VerbN2

ゆっくりお湯(ゆ)に体(からだ)を沈(しず)めると、疲(つか)れが取(と)れる。Lowering yourself slowly into the hot water takes the tiredness away.

Takes を; its partner is 沈(しず)む.

浮(う)かぶto float; to come to mindVerbN3

空(そら)に白(しろ)い雲(くも)が浮(う)かんでいる。White clouds are floating in the sky.

Takes が; its partner is 浮(う)かべる. An idea also floats up: いい考(かんが)えが浮(う)かぶ.

浮(う)かべるto float (something); to show (a smile, tears)VerbN3

彼(かれ)は目(め)に涙(なみだ)を浮(う)かべて、お礼(れい)を言(い)った。With tears in his eyes, he thanked us.

Takes を; its partner is 浮(う)かぶ.

済(す)むto be finished; to be settled; to get by (with)VerbN3

用事(ようじ)が済(す)んだら、すぐに帰(かえ)ります。I will come straight home once my errand is done.

Takes が; its partner is 済(す)ませる. Not 住(す)む, to live, which sounds the same.

済(す)ませるto finish; to get done; to make do (with)VerbN3

朝(あさ)ご飯(はん)はパンとコーヒーで済(す)ませた。I made do with bread and coffee for breakfast.

Takes を; its partner is 済(す)む.

埋(う)めるto bury; to fill inVerbN3

犬(いぬ)が庭(にわ)に骨(ほね)を埋(う)めている。The dog is burying a bone in the garden.

Takes を; its partner is 埋(う)まる. Also filling in a blank on a form.

埋(う)まるto be buried; to be filled (up)VerbN3

週末(しゅうまつ)の予定(よてい)は、もう全部(ぜんぶ)埋(う)まっている。My weekend is already completely booked up.

Takes が; its partner is 埋(う)める.

縮(ちぢ)むto shrinkVerbN2

セーターをお湯(ゆ)で洗(あら)ったら、縮(ちぢ)んでしまった。I washed my jumper in hot water and it shrank.

Takes が; its partner is 縮(ちぢ)める.

縮(ちぢ)めるto shorten; to reduce (a gap, a time)VerbN2

毎日(まいにち)練習(れんしゅう)して、タイムを10秒(びょう)縮(ちぢ)めた。By practising every day I cut ten seconds off my time.

Takes を; its partner is 縮(ちぢ)む.

This list belongs to Basic words: numbers, time, verbs — 24 lists and 964 words that can also be practised as a whole.

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