Transitive vs. Intransitive Verb Pairs


Transitive verbs need an object

 (e.g. Set SOMETHING on the table).

Intransitive verbs cannot take an object.


As in Czech, sometimes the difference is only the interior vowel.


Intransitive:          Lie (ležet) – lay – lain

Transitive:            Lay (položit) – laid – laid

[Lie (lhát) – lied – lied]


Intransitive:          Sit (sedět) – sat – sat

Transitive:            Set (položit/umístit) – set – set


Intransitive:          Rise (zvýšit se) – rose - risen

Transitive:            Raise (zvýšit/zvedat) – raised – raised


Intransitive:          Fall (padat) – fell - fallen

Transitive:            Fell (kácet-) – felled – felled

[Feel (citit) – felt – felt]