Language/French/Grammar/Indirectly-transitive-in-French-but-directly-transitive-in-English
Definitions
Indirect transitive verbs
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
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
Special attention should be given to the following verbs because, while they are indirectly transitive in French, their English counterparts are directly transitive.
Objects introduced by à
| French | Translation |
|---|---|
| contravenir à la réglementation | to break the rule |
| convenir à Julie | to suit Julie |
| (dé)plaire à son professeur | to (dis)please one's teacher |
| (dés)obéir à ses parents | to (dis)obey one's parents |
| échapper à la police | to evade capture by the police |
| échouer à un examen | to fail an exam |
| jouer au football, au rugby, au tennis | to play football, rugby, tennis |
| nuire à la réputation de quelqu'un | to harm somebody's reputation |
| parvenir au sommet | to reach the summit |
| plaire à quelqu'un | to please somebody |
| remédier à la situation | to rectify the situation |
| renoncer à l'alcool | to give up alcohol |
| résister à une force | to resist a force |
| ressembler à son chien | to look like one's dog |
| subvenir aux besoins de quelqu'un | to look after somebody financially |
| succéder à son père | to succeed one's father |
| survivre à un accident | to survive an accident |
| téléphoner à quelqu'un | to telephone somebody |
| toucher aux affaires de quelqu'un | to mess about with somebody's things |
While échapper à means 'to evade capture', s'échapper de means 'to escape from': s'échapper de la prison.
Examples
| GOOD | BAD |
|---|---|
| Il joue au football | (NOT *I1 joue football) |
| Il a téléphoné à sa femme | (NOT *I1 a téléphoné sa femme) |
| Elle ressemble beaucoup à sa mère | (NOT *Elle ressemble beaucoup sa mère) |
| Le nouveau poste plaisait à Antoine | (NOT *Le nouveau poste plaisait Antoine) |
Objects introduced by de
| French | Translation |
|---|---|
| abuser de son héritage | to misuse one's inheritance |
| douter de la vérité d'une histoire | to doubt the truth of a story |
| hériter d'une fortune | to inherit a fortune |
| jouer du piano/du violon/de la flûte | to play the piano/violin/flute |
| jouir de privilèges sans précédent | to enjoy unprecedented privileges |
| médire de son voisin | to slander one's neighbour |
| redoubler d'efforts | to double one's efforts |
Note that entrer is usually followed by dans: entrer dans la maison. Grimper is usually followed either by sur or by à: grimper sur un escabeau 'to climb a stepladder', grimper à l'échelle 'to climb a ladder'.
Examples
| GOOD | BAD |
|---|---|
| Elle espère hériter d'une fortune | (NOT *Elle espère hériter une fortune) |
| Elle jouait du piano | (NOT *Elle jouait le piano) |