Can one ever use an intransitive verb as a transitive verb?


**Note from the OP: The original phrasing of the question was very unclear so,
after thinking this over a few times, I decided to rewrite this completely.
Please see[here](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/83467/can-
intransitive-verbs-be-used-in-a-transitive-way-with-abstract-objects) for the
new question**

In other words, is it ever acceptable to use the を particle with an
intransitive verb? (**other than in the exception mentioned below)

For example, the verb "to run" is usually an intransitive verb (just like the
verbs walk, sleep, jump, grow, etc.), but it has a direct object in the phrase
"run a marathon" or "run a race".

So, in Japanese would it be correct to say 「マラソンを走る」 or should one say
「マラソンが走る」 or「マラソンで走る」 or something else?

There are other examples which (in English) might not be technically correct
but could be used in casual speech, for example "to jump a jumping jack" (vs.
"to do a jumping jack")

In Japanese, would, for example 「ジャンピングジャックを跳ねる」 (as opposed to
「ジャンピングジャックをする」) be acceptable in casual speech or would it sound extremely
unnatural?

**I know that there is a different meaning of を, where it doesn't indicated
direct object but functions similarly to に or で, for example:

公園を走る ~ run around in the park.




Intransitive verbs can never be used with を, **except** for expressions like
「公園を歩く」, and at least **one other exception** , that of the **abstract
object** , also known as [**cognate
objects**](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognate_object) in linguistics.

In general, there are cases where a semantically intransitive verb (e.g. to
live, to die, to exist, to sleep) can take an "abstract object". In English,
for example, this occurs in the expression

> "to **die** a painful **death** ",

where the abstract concept "painful death" is the object of the usually-
intransitive verb "to die". These are called [cognate
objects](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognate_object) since the object is
etymologically related to the verb.

In Japanese, it seems that cognate objects are more rare that in other
languages like English, but examples do exist.

At least, it seems that the phrase「死を死ぬ」exists, even though 死ぬ is an
intransitive verb. For example, there is a song with the title

> [「俺は俺の死を死にたい」](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iAAwsYylaI)
>
> "I want to die my death"

Another example is 「人生を生きる」"to live life"

In the song "Aruite ikou" by
[Ikimonogakari](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikimonogakari), there is the
line

> 僕は「今」を生きていくよ
>
> I'm going to go live "the present"

Or more idiomatically, "I'm going to live in the present"

Note that not some cognate objects are merely normal objects of transitive
verbs. For example in "to sing a song" or 「歌を歌う」, both "song" and 「歌」are
cognates of their respective verbs, but "sing" is a transitive verb.

Conversely there are cases where an intransitive verb takes an abstract object
that is **not cognate** to the verb, such as 「人生を生きる」

(So **" abstract object"** is the more appropriate terminology but I'm not
sure if there is a proper linguistic term for that.)




If you are simply trying to have an object with an intransitive verb, the
answer is no. Intransitive verbs do not take on direct objects, and therefore
will never be used in conjunction with を marking the direct object.

Using を with intransitive verbs will most definitely sound unnatural. I got
called out on it a lot as I was learning.

You can, however, use を to indicate a space traversed, or a location to pass.
を is not exclusively limited to only one function. You can learn more about
other functions [here](https://www.wasabi-jpn.com/japanese-grammar/objects-of-
japanese-verbs-with-particles-o-ni-and-to/).

> So, in Japanese would it be correct to say 「マラソンを走る」 or should one say
> 「マラソンが走る」 or something else?

In this case, it is actually 「マラソンを走る」. This is because を is not actually
marking a direct object. The marathon in this sentence is not the object you
can do things to, but rather a measured distance. We can consider it a space
to be traversed. As you have noted, 公園を走る is grammatically correct. You can
also use it to indicate other places or distances you've run. This is the same
function for を marking a space to be traversed or a location passed.

「マラソンが走る」 is not grammatically correct. In literal translation, it's something
to the effect of "The marathon is running (using its legs)." It doesn't work,
because marathons aren't nouns that can do actions.

「マラソンで走る」is also not grammatically correct. で [has several
uses](https://www.wasabi-jpn.com/japanese-grammar/particle-de-expressing-
supplementary-information/) including marking the place of an action or the
means an action is done. In this case, the noun marathon is not a place, and
it is not a means of running (though 道 (path) would be). The other uses for で
wouldn't really fit here either.

> In Japanese, would, for example 「ジャンピングジャックを跳ねる」 (as opposed to
> 「ジャンピングジャックをする」) be acceptable in casual speech or would it sound extremely
> unnatural?

「ジャンピングジャックを跳ねる」Would be an unnatural phrase for two reasons. 1) Using an
object with an intransitive verb is not grammatically correct. 2)
[跳ねる](https://jisho.org/word/%E8%B7%B3%E3%81%AD%E3%82%8B) tends to be more
prancey and frolicsome. Jumping jacks aren't prancey or frolicsome, so it
would sound a little strange. I must admit that someone frolicking or prancing
doing jumping jacks would rather amusing to watch though.

I think it is best to stick with「ジャンピングジャックをする」to avoid being potentially
confusing.

