ditransitive: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Academic
Quick answer
What does “ditransitive” mean?
A verb that takes two objects: a direct object and an indirect object.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A verb that takes two objects: a direct object and an indirect object.
In linguistics, describing a verb or clause construction where the verb is followed by both a direct object (the thing transferred) and an indirect object (the recipient).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Both varieties use the term identically in linguistic contexts.
Connotations
Purely technical, with no regional connotations.
Frequency
Equally rare in general discourse, confined to academic/linguistic texts in both regions.
Grammar
How to Use “ditransitive” in a Sentence
Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object (SVOO)Subject + Verb + Direct Object + to/for + Indirect ObjectVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “ditransitive” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- 'Give' is a prototypical ditransitive verb.
- The ditransitive construction is less common in some languages.
American English
- 'Send' is a classic ditransitive verb.
- We need to diagram this ditransitive clause.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in linguistics, grammar, and language teaching to describe verb valency and sentence structure.
Everyday
Extremely rare; unknown to most non-specialists.
Technical
Core term in syntactic theory and descriptive grammar.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “ditransitive”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “ditransitive”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “ditransitive”
- Using 'ditransitive' to describe any verb with a prepositional phrase (e.g., 'put on the table').
- Confusing it with 'transitive'. All ditransitive verbs are transitive, but not vice versa.
- Assuming it's a common adjective for describing general actions.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a specialised term used almost exclusively in linguistics, grammar, and language teaching.
Yes. Many ditransitive verbs can also be used monotransitively (e.g., 'She gave money' vs. 'She gave him money').
In a ditransitive construction, the indirect object appears directly after the verb without a preposition (e.g., 'I sent her a letter'). The same meaning can be expressed with a prepositional phrase ('I sent a letter to her'), which is not a ditransitive structure.
No. The syntactic behaviour of verbs that express 'giving' or 'telling' varies significantly across languages. Some languages lack a distinct ditransitive construction altogether.
A verb that takes two objects: a direct object and an indirect object.
Ditransitive is usually technical / academic in register.
Ditransitive: in British English it is pronounced /daɪˈtrænzɪtɪv/, and in American English it is pronounced /daɪˈtrænzɪtɪv/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'DI-' (two) + 'TRANSITIVE' (taking an object). A ditransitive verb transfers an action to TWO objects: one receives (indirect), one is affected (direct).
Conceptual Metaphor
VERB AS TRANSFER (The verb conceptualises an action as transferring something to someone).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences contains a ditransitive verb?