Intransitive Verbs in French
In French, some verbs do not take a direct object. These are called verbes intransitifs(intransitive verbs).
In this article, you'll learn what intransitive verbs are and why they matter so much in French sentence structure. We'll also explore agreement rules and pronoun placement. Allons-y !(Let's go!)
Questions This Article Answers
What is an intransitive verb in French?
How are intransitive verbs different from transitive verbs?
Does agreement work differently with intransitive verbs?
Where do you put indirect object pronouns when using an intransitive verb?
What Is an Intransitive Verb?
A verbe intransitif(intransitive verb) is a verb that does not take a direct object. The action is either self-contained or followed by an adverb or prepositional phrase, but not by a noun directly receiving the action.
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To contrast these examples, here are two sentences using transitive verbs. As you can see, they're followed by a direct object. Without one, the sentence would feel incomplete!
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Direct vs. Indirect Object
As we saw, only direct objects make a verb transitive. If a verb can only take an indirect object, introduced by a preposition like à(to, about) or de(from, of), it is intransitive.
In the last example, mon frère is a direct object since no preposition is used.
Want to know more about transitive verbs in French? Check out this article!
Common Intransitive Verbs in French
Here are some frequently used intransitive verbs:
These verbs often express motion, change of state, or natural events. When used intransitively, they don't take direct objects.
The Preposition À After a Verb
In the first two sentences above, the verb is immediately followed by à. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that what comes next is an indirect object! The phrases à la plage (to the beach) and à midi (at noon) are indications of place and time. As such, they are compléments circonstanciels(adverbial complements), not indirect objects.
Some Verbs Can Be Both Intransitive and Transitive
In French, certain verbs can be both intransitive and transitive. This is the case, for example, for courir(to run) and sentir(to smell, to smell like):
For each verb, FrenchDictionary indicates the various senses a verb can take depending on its transitivity, along with examples. Some common verbs that can be both intransitive and transitive include:
Intransitive Verbs and Agreement in Compound Tenses
Some intransitive verbs, especially verbs of movement or change of state, use êtreas their auxiliary verb in compound tenses like the passé composé(compound past). When they do, the past participle agrees in gender and number with the subject.
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You can check out these articles for more information about past participle agreement.
The Auxiliary Être Does Not Always Mean Intransitive
Attention !(Watch out!) Not all verbs that use the auxiliary verb être are intransitive, and not all intransitive verbs use être!
Pronominal verbs use the auxiliary verb être even if they involve a direct object:
Some intransitive verbs use the auxiliary verb avoir(to have), like dormir(to sleep):
Pronoun Placement
If an intransitive verb has a pronoun replacing the indirect object, the pronoun goes before the verb (or before the auxiliary in compound tenses).
The only exception is the affirmative imperative, in which the pronoun goes after the verb and is linked to it by a hyphen.
Learn more about French verbs and tenses in these articles!
