Language/French/Grammar/Indirectly-transitive-in-French-but-directly-transitive-in-English
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Definitions[edit | edit source]
Indirect transitive verbs[edit | edit source]
A verb is said to be indirect transitive when it is accompanied by an indirect object complement.
Example:
- "Il joue aux petites voitures".
He plays toy cars
Here "petites voitures" is the complement of indirect object or COI (complément d'objet indirect).
A verb can be used in the active, passive or pronominal voice.
Indirect transitive verbs, therefore verbs which accept an indirect object complement, do not accept transformation in the passive voice.
We cannot use the passive voice when the verb of the sentence does not admit a direct object complement, as for example in the case of an indirect transitive verb, or in the case of an intransitive verb.
Direct transitive verbs[edit | edit source]
With the active voice the subject performs the action:
- Le chat mange la souris
The cat eats the mouse
The verb “manger” (to eat) is of direct transitive type.
In the passive voice it is the subject who undergoes the action: “La souris est mangée par le chat” (The mouse is eaten by the cat).
Direct transitive verbs, therefore verbs which accept a direct object complement, accept transformation in the passive voice.
Indirect in French but Direct in English[edit | edit source]
Particular attention should be paid to the verbs in the list below because, if they are indirectly transitive in French, their English equivalents are directly transitive.
Objects introduced by à
[edit | edit source]
French | Translation |
---|---|
contrevenir à la réglementation | break the rule |
convenir à Jean | suit Jean |
(dés)obéir à ses parents | to (dis)obey one's parents |
(dé)plaire à son voisin | (dis)please one's neighbor |
échapper à la police | escape the police |
jouer au football | to play football |
échouer à un examen | to fail an exam |
nuire à la réputation de quelqu'un | to harm somebody's reputation |
parvenir au sommet de la montagne | reach the top of the mountain |
renoncer à l'alcool | to give up alcohol |
plaire à quelqu'un | to please someone |
remédier à la situation | to rectify the situation |
subvenir aux besoins de quelqu'un | to look after somebody financially |
résister à une publicité | resist an advertisement |
ressembler à son fils | to look like one's son |
succéder à son père | to succeed one's father |
téléphoner à quelqu'un | to telephone someone |
toucher aux affaires de quelqu'un | to mess about with somebody's things |
survivre à un accident de voiture | to survive a car accident |
- Note: While "échapper à" means "to evade capture", "s'échapper de" means "to escape from". Example: "s'échapper de la prison".
Examples[edit | edit source]
GOOD | BAD |
---|---|
Il joue au football | |
Il a téléphoné à son mari | |
Il ressemble beaucoup à son père | |
Le nouveau poste plaisait à Jean |
Objects introduced by de
[edit | edit source]
French | Translation |
---|---|
hériter d'une somme d'argent | inherit some money |
douter de la vérité d'un article | doubt the truth of an article |
jouir de privilèges | to enjoy privileges |
jouer du piano | to play the piano |
redoubler d'efforts | to double one's efforts |
médire de son voisin | to slander one's neighbor |
Notes[edit | edit source]
"Entrer" is followed by dans
:
- "entrer dans la maison".
to enter the house
"Grimper" is followed either by sur
or by à
:
- "grimper sur un escabeau"
to climb a stepladder
- "grimper à l'échelle"
to climb a ladder
Examples[edit | edit source]
GOOD | BAD |
---|---|
Elle espère hériter d'une fortune | |
Elle jouait du piano |
Other Chapters[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Easy future
- Adverbs ending in —(é)ment derived from past participles
- Use of neutral le where no equivalent exists in English
- Indirect object pronouns used in possessive constructions with body parts
- Years
- Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Kings, queens and popes
- Stressed pronouns used as the object of a preposition
- Differences in the use of numbers in French and English Dates
- How to use Have
- Object pronouns in coordinated clauses
- Nouns with irregular plurals
- How to Use Be
- Verbs whose stems end in c— or g—
- Nouns which change meaning when they change gender
- Impersonal verbs