出る vs 出す
JLPT N5 vocabulary · what is the difference?
出る (でる) means something goes out or appears by itself, with no doer named: 月が出る, 学生が出る. 出す (だす) means a person takes something out or sends it out, and that thing takes を: 手紙を出す. It is the usual intransitive/transitive pair — 出る describes the event, 出す adds the person doing it.
When to use each
出る
でる
Use 出る when the subject itself goes out, comes out or appears. Nothing separate is being moved. It also covers attending or appearing in something: 会議に出る, テレビに出る.
七時にうちを出ました。
しちじにうちをでました。
I left home at seven.
空に月が出ています。
そらにつきがでています。
The moon is out in the sky.
出す
だす
Use 出す when someone moves something out of somewhere, or sends it off — mailing, handing in, serving, taking out. The thing moved takes を and the source takes から.
かばんから本を出しました。
かばんからほんをだしました。
I took a book out of my bag.
明日までに宿題を出してください。
あしたまでにしゅくだいをだしてください。
Please hand in your homework by tomorrow.
Sentences where only one works
かばんから本が出ました。
かばんからほんがでました。
A book came out of the bag.
本 takes が — it just came out. No one is said to have taken it.
かばんから本を出しました。
かばんからほんをだしました。
I took the book out of the bag.
Same book, but を means a doer is acting on it, so the verb must be 出す.
このお店はおいしい料理を出します。
このおみせはおいしいりょうりをだします。
This restaurant serves delicious food.
The shop sends the food out to customers, so 料理 takes を and only 出す works.
会議に出ます。
かいぎにでます。
I will attend the meeting.
You yourself appear at the meeting, so 出る with に. 会議を出す is not Japanese.
Common mistakes
手紙を出ました。
手紙を出しました。
手紙 takes を, so the verb has to be the transitive 出す. 出る cannot take an object like this.
ゴミが出してください。
ゴミを出してください。
Asking someone to put the rubbish out is a transitive action, so it is ゴミを出す. が would mean the rubbish comes out by itself.
電車から出します。 (meaning "I get off the train")
電車から出ます。
You are the one leaving and nothing is being taken out, so it is 出る. More natural still is 電車を降ります。
Frequently asked questions
Why is it 家を出る with を if 出る is intransitive?
This を marks the place you move away from, not an object — the same を as 公園を歩く or 電車を降りる. 出る still has no object; nothing is being acted on. It is the one を you will meet with an intransitive verb, so learn it as a set pattern.
How is this the same rule as 入る/入れる?
Exactly the same shape: 出る and 入る describe something going out or in by itself and take が, while 出す and 入れる have a person doing it and take を. Once you see the が/を flip, the whole family works the same way.
Does 出す mean "to submit"?
Yes — handing in homework, mailing a letter and putting in an application are all 出す, because you are sending something out to somewhere. They all take を.