Spanish transitive and intransitive verbs

Have you ever looked up the meaning of a verb in a Spanish dictionary? If so, you've probably come across the letters tr. and intr. before seeing the definition. These abbreviations have an essential meaning in Spanish verbs, indicating whether a verb is transitive or intransitive, which will help you distinguish between them and continue your adventure of learning Spanish in Spain.

At don Quijote, we'll tell you everything you need to know about Spanish transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, and copulative verbs, the differences between them, and examples so you know how to tell them apart. We'll also give you some exercises to practice!

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Spanish transitive verbs

Spanish transitive verbs are those that need a direct object to make sense in a sentence. Without the object, the sentence would be unclear or incomplete. Some of these verbs are comer (to eat), escribir (to write), comprar (to buy), and tocar (to touch).

These transitive verbs in Spanish, needing an object to have complete meaning, are always followed by a Spanish direct object.

Spanish intransitive verbs

Spanish intransitive verbs, on the other hand, do not need a complement to make sense. These verbs express an action that does not require a direct object, although they can take other types of complements. Some intransitive verbs in Spanish are: llegar (to arrive), nacer (to be born), caminar (to walk), and dormir (to sleep).

Copulative verbs in Spanish

Finally, Spanish copulative verbs are more special and there are only three: ser, estar, and parecer. These verbs do not express an action but rather link the subject with an attribute and do not need a complement because the actions take place on their own.

Thus, in Spanish copulative verbs, the essential element is not the action of the verb, but the attribute, which can be an adjective, noun, or pronoun, and which qualifies the subject.

Differences between transitive and intransitive verbs

It is important to learn to differentiate between Spanish transitive and intransitive verbs, especially if you need to perform a Spanish sentence analysis. Here are some tips to help you understand and learn to differentiate between these verbs:

Need for a direct object. Transitive verbs in Spanish always need a direct object to complete their meaning. Intransitive verbs in Spanish do not need this complement. For example:

• Laura lee un libro (Laura reads a book). In this sentence, the direct object is un libro (a book), so the verb is transitive.
• Pedro corre rápido (Pedro runs fast). In this sentence, there is no direct object, so the verb is intransitive.

Meaning of the action. While in transitive verbs in Spanish the action occurs to the direct object, in intransitive verbs in Spanish the action falls only on the subject. Examples:

• El niño rompió el vaso (The boy broke the glass). Here the action falls on the glass, which receives the action.
• El bebé llora (The baby cries). In this sentence, the action falls on the subject itself, that is, the baby.

Possibility of passive voice. Another trick is to convert the sentence into the passive voice to find out if the verb is transitive or intransitive. Spanish transitive verbs can be converted into passive sentences, but Spanish intransitive verbs cannot. Example:

• Maria escribió una carta (María wrote a letter): active voice
• Una carta fue escrita por María (A letter was written by María): passive voice

Common complements. If you analyze what type of complement the sentence has, you can figure out what type of verb it is. If you find direct, indirect, or circumstantial complements in a sentence, you are probably dealing with a Spanish transitive verb. Intransitive verbs in Spanish, on the other hand, are usually accompanied by circumstantial complements of place, time, manner, etc.

For example:

• Ana envió una carta a su amiga (Ana sent a letter to her friend). Spanish transitive verb because it is accompanied by a direct complement, una carta (a letter), and an indirect complement, a su amiga (to her friend).
• Ellos viajan en verano (They travel in summer). Spanish intransitive verb because it is accompanied by a circumstantial complement of time, en verano (in summer).

On the other hand, Spanish copulative verbs are easy to differentiate from the previous ones, as there are only three and they are very easy to identify. Remember that the copulative verbs are ser, estar, and parecer. For example:

• La casa es grande (The house is big)
• El café está caliente (The coffee is hot)
• Te pareces a tu padre (You look like your father)
• Mi hermana está trabajando (My sister is working)

Exercises with Spanish transitive and intransitive verbs

Once you have learned the definition of each type of verb, it's time to test your knowledge. Below are 12 sentences for you to determine whether the verb is transitive or intransitive. You will find the answers at the end of the article!

1. Juan lee un libro (Juan reads a book)
2. Nosotros viajamos a Madrid (We travel to Madrid)
3. El bebé duerme en su cuna (The baby sleeps in his crib)
4. María compra pan en la tienda (María buys bread at the store)
5. Ellos juegan en el parque (They play in the park)
6. Ana escribe una carta (Ana writes a letter)
7. Mi abuelo vive en un pueblo pequeño (My grandfather lives in a small town)
8. Pedro rompe el vaso (Pedro breaks the glass)
9. Carmen nada en la piscina (Carmen swims in the pool)
10. Laura toca la guitarra (Laura plays the guitar)
11. Invitaron a todos sus amigos a la fiesta (They invited all their friends to the party)
12. Tardamos cuatro horas en llegar a nuestro destino (It took us four hours to reach our destination)

Were you able to identify the transitive and intransitive verbs? Keep practicing to master verbs and achieve the level of Spanish you've always dreamed of. And if you need help and want to get to know a city in Spain better, with don Quiote's intensive Spanish courses, everything is at your fingertips.

Venture into Spanish and discover all the wonders that the language, its culture, and its people have to offer. We are waiting for you!

Answers: transitive, intransitive, intransitive, transitive, intransitive, transitive, intransitive, transitive, intransitive, transitive, transitive, intransitive.