transitive verb
- noun
- /ˈtrænzɪtɪv vɝb/
- Specialized
:
verbo transitivo
- Only transitive verbs have passive forms.
Examples
-
A transitive verb requires a direct object to convey a complete action.
-
In English, to understand how to use a transitive verb, you should identify its direct object.
-
For example, 'She kicked the ball' illustrates a transitive verb because it needs 'the ball' to complete its meaning.
Synonyms
A verb that needs an object to complete its meaning
Antonyms
- Specialized
A word that shows an action or state and does not need a thing after it
How Transitive
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'transitive' (an adjective meaning a verb that takes an object) combined with 'verb' yields 'a verb that must have a direct object.' A B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings can therefore derive the MWE's meaning, and the adjective+noun technical pattern is cross-linguistically common.
Etymology
Transitive verb comes from an old Latin word that meant 'to go across', which gives a clear picture: the action of the verb moves across from the doer to another thing. So a transitive verb needs an 'object', a word that receives the action, to complete its meaning.
