dittransitieve

Dittransitieve, or ditransitive, verbs are verbs that license two object arguments. In such verbs the action is typically transferred from the subject to a second participant, resulting in two recipients of the action: a theme (the thing acted upon) and a recipient or beneficiary.

There are two common constructions for ditransitive verbs. The double object construction places both objects directly after the verb, as in English “She gave him a book” or Dutch “Zij gaf hem een boek.” The indirect object is usually the recipient (him) and the direct object is the theme (a book). Alternatively, the prepositional object construction uses a preposition to mark the recipient, as in English “She gave a book to him” or Dutch “Zij gaf een boek aan hem.” Some verbs allow both forms, while others prefer one pattern.

In many languages, ditransitive verbs are distinguished by subcategorization frames in grammar and by thematic roles. The core semantic relation often involves a transfer or communication, with the recipient benefiting from the action. The two-argument requirement means these verbs interact with special syntax rules, such as pronoun placement and word order, and can affect passivisation and other syntactic processes. In Dutch grammar, dittransitieve werkwoorden frequently appear with an indirect object pronoun and a direct object noun phrase, or with a prepositional phrase indicating the recipient.

Across languages, ditransitivity shows variation: some languages maintain a strict double object pattern, others rely mainly on prepositional objects, and some have flexible alternations. The concept remains central to studies of valency, argument structure, and cross-linguistic syntax. See also transitivity and valency.