intransitivamente

Intransitivamente is a Spanish adverb used in grammar to describe the manner in which an action is performed by a verb that does not take a direct object. It derives from intransitivo, a term that classifies verbs whose meaning does not entail a direct recipient of the action. The suffix -mente converts the adjective into an adverb, signaling the mode or manner of the action.

In valency theory, verbs are categorized by transitivity: intransitive verbs require a subject but no direct object; transitive verbs require a direct object; ambitransitive verbs can be used with or without an object. Examples of intransitive verbs include dormir (to sleep), correr (to run), nacer (to be born). Transitive examples include comer (to eat) with an object like una manzana (an apple) or leer (to read) with un libro (a book). Some verbs can be used in both ways depending on the sentence structure or meaning, such as abrir in its reflexive or intransitive senses.

The adverb intransitivamente is mainly used in linguistic descriptions or grammatical analyses rather than daily speech. It may appear in examples that illustrate how the action proceeds without a direct object, for instance: “El río fluye intransitivamente.” In other languages, equivalent terms exist to describe the same concept of action performed without a direct object, and the notion is tied to the broader idea of transitivity and valency in verbs.