Please help me understand the tadoushi/jidoushi distinction


I’m trying to understand the tadoushi/jidoushi distinction. I read an article
in wikionary.org
[Here](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E8%87%AA%E5%8B%95%E8%A9%9E#Japanese)
which seemed to make sense. In particular it stated that the tadoushi/jidoushi
distinction is a semantic one: a tadoushi verb acts upon another entity; a
jidoushi verb does not.

Subsequently I looked at this sentence:

> 道を間違えたのかな (I wonder if I mistook the street)

I understand that there is a related jidoushi verb, 間違う, but 間違える itself, if
it can indeed be translated as "to make a mistake", does not seem to act upon
another entity. Yet it has a direct object.

I’d appreciate it if somone could explain tadoushi/jidoushi in a way that
accounts for the syntax in the sentence cited. Thank you.

I’m pretty much a newbie, so romaji will be fine with me.

**Addition** : Having thought about this more, my tentative conclusion is that
the tadoushi/jidoushi distinction is a semantic one that is not necessarily
expressed in syntax. If we were classifying English verbs, that of “I
remembered Helen” would be jidoushi and that of “I kissed Helen” would
tadoushi. Both can take a direct object, so it is not useful to link tadoushi
with transitivity and jidoushi with intransitiviity.

Could anyone confirm or negate my conclusion?




In short, Tadoshi is basically used with "目的語{Mokutekigo}"-Object and "を{wo}"
like "パン{Pan}を{wo}食べる{taberu}" - I eat a bread.  
Of course, there is exception, but it is a rare case.  
An exception case is as below.

> 猫が私の庭を走っている - Neko ga watashi no niwa wo hashitteiru  
>  A cat is running in my yard.

In this sentence, "走っている" (infinitive verb is "走る{hashiru}) is Jidoshi because
Niwa, yard is place. In addition, if you can alternate "を{wo}" with "で{de}"
like "庭{Niwa} で{de} 走る{hashiru}", it is not Tadoshi.

Your sentence,

> A tadoushi verb acts upon another entity; a jidoushi verb does not.

I think this is basically correct. However, in my opinion, some verbs like
kiss someone or touch someone is Jidoshi. (Even in Japan, it is not clear.)

kiss someone is "にキスする{ni kisu suru}", and touch someone is "に触れる{ni fureru}"  
This verbs act upon an entity/object, but are not paired with "を{wo}".

To make matters complicated, touch can be translated as either
"を{wo}触る{sawaru}" or "に{ni}触れる{fureru}".  
I guess the former is Tadoshi, and the latter is Jidoshi.  

This is just my thought, but I understand that "触る{sawaru}" implies "touch
tightly to check something or with a clear purpose.", but "触れる{fureru}"
implies touch slightly or without his/her will. So, I think this slight
difference makes Japanese learner more confused.

I am not sure if kiss is Jidoshi or not, but if we follow the principle, kiss
is Jidoshi because it is used with "に{ni}" (not "を{wo}").

Again, this case is gray and rare, but basically, Tadoshi acts upon an object
and is used with "を{wo}"

In this case:

> 道を間違えたのかな (I wonder if I mistook the street)

道{michi}, street is object/entity.

道-を-間違えた {Michi-wo-machigaeta} is "I went the wrong way" (directly translated
to" I mistook the street")

> 間違える itself, if it can indeed be translated as "to make a mistake"

I think "to make a mistake on something" is more correct.

Japanese often omit/skip object or subject.  

> A:コカコーラを買ってきてと頼んだのに、これはドクターペッパーだ！  
>  B:ごめん。間違えた。(間違えた is the past tense of 間違える）

> A:I asked you to buy coke by Coca-cola, but this is Dr. Pepper!!  
>  B:I am sorry. I made a mistake.

In this case, B doesn't say what he/she mistook because it is obvious.  
Correctly speaking,

> B:ごめん。（ドクターペッパーをコカ・コーラと）間違えた。  
>  B:I am sorry. I bought Dr pepper by mistake for Coca-cola.

By the way, In Engslih class in Japan, we Japanese learn that a verb which
needs preposition is Jidoshi.  
For example, "I go **to** school." It is Jidoshi because of **to**.  
"I opened the door" It is Tadoshi because of NO preposition.

In this method, kiss or touch is an exception case. This is Jidoshi although
they do NOT need preposition.  
However, this is gray even in Japan. Some dictionaries say this is Tadoshi.  
I think this is a rare case.

Does this answer your question? feel free to tell me if you have qustions.

