直す (Naosu) vs. 直る (Naoru): How to Use These N3 Japanese Verbs Naturally

Introduction

Consider these two Japanese sentences:

「パソコンを直しました。」
I fixed the computer.

「パソコンが直りました。」
The computer was fixed / The computer is working again.

Both sentences describe a situation in which something goes from a bad or broken state to a normal state.

So what is the difference?

The key is not simply the meaning of the words. It is the point of view.

直す (naosu / to fix, correct) focuses on someone doing something to change a problem.

直る (naoru / to be fixed, become corrected) focuses on the thing itself changing into a better or normal state.

This is a classic Japanese transitive–intransitive verb pair:

• 直す (naosu) = someone fixes or corrects something
• 直る (naoru) = something gets fixed or returns to a normal state

Instead of memorizing these definitions alone, it is much easier to understand them through situations.

Let’s look at how native speakers naturally choose between 直す and 直る in everyday conversation, school, work, and JLPT reading passages.

First, Think About the Situation

Imagine that a computer at school suddenly stops working.

A teacher checks the computer, changes some settings, and gets it working again.

If you want to talk about what the teacher did, you can say:

「先生がパソコンを直しました。」
The teacher fixed the computer.

Here, the teacher performs an action on the computer.

So we use 直す (naosu).

Now imagine that you simply want to report that the computer works again:

「パソコンが直りました。」
The computer has been fixed. / The computer is working again.

Here, the important point is not who fixed it.

The focus is the change in the computer’s condition.

So we use 直る (naoru).

A useful way to remember the difference is:

• Someone acts on something → 直す
• Something changes into a normal condition → 直る

Situation 1: Everyday Conversation

Both 直す and 直る are extremely common in everyday Japanese.

There is no simple rule such as “直す is for conversation” and “直る is for written Japanese.”

Instead, the choice depends on what you want to focus on.

Imagine that the air conditioner in your home was broken.

Someone asks:

「エアコン、どうしたの？」
What happened with the air conditioner?

If you want to talk about the person who repaired it, you might say:

「修理の人が直してくれたよ。」
The repair person fixed it for us.

Here, someone actively repaired the air conditioner, so 直す is natural.

But if you simply want to say that it works now, you can say:

「もう直ったよ。」
It’s fixed now.

In everyday conversations, 直る is especially common when the person who repaired something is not important.

For example:

「スマホ、直った？」
Is your phone fixed?

「うん、直った。」
Yeah, it is.

The speakers are interested in the current condition of the phone, not in who repaired it.

Compare that with:

「誰がスマホを直したの？」
Who fixed your phone?

Now the focus is on the person who performed the action, so 直す is used.

Situation 2: Written Japanese, News, and Explanatory Texts

The basic distinction between 直す and 直る does not change in written Japanese.

直す is used when a person or organization takes action to correct a problem.

直る is used when the focus is on the problem disappearing or the condition improving.

Compare:

「担当者がシステムの不具合を直した。」
The person in charge fixed the system problem.

This focuses on the action of the person responsible.

Now compare:

「システムの不具合が直った。」
The system problem was fixed.

This focuses on the result.

In formal writing, news reports, and technical documents, other words may also be used.

For example, depending on the situation, 直す may be replaced by words such as:

• 修正する (shūsei suru / to correct or revise)
• 修理する (shūri suru / to repair)
• 改善する (kaizen suru / to improve)

Similarly, instead of 直る, formal texts may use expressions such as:

• 改善される (kaizen sareru / to be improved)
• 復旧する (fukkyū suru / to be restored)

However, the underlying idea is still useful:

Is the sentence focusing on someone’s action, or on a change of state?

This distinction can help you understand JLPT reading passages as well.

Situation 3: Feelings, Judgments, and Evaluation

The difference between 直す and 直る is not mainly about whether the sentence is emotional, subjective, or objective.

The more important distinction is whether someone intentionally changes something or whether a condition itself changes.

For example, a teacher may say:

「この漢字、間違っているから直してください。」
This kanji is wrong, so please correct it.

The student must intentionally correct the mistake.

That is why 直す is used.

Now consider:

「最近、夜更かしの癖が直ってきた。」
Recently, my habit of staying up late has started to improve.

Here, the focus is on the habit gradually changing.

Therefore, 直る is natural.

These verbs can also be used for behavior, habits, posture, and ways of speaking.

For example:

「その話し方は直したほうがいい。」
You should change the way you speak.

The speaker is evaluating the behavior and suggesting that the person actively change it.

Compare:

「なかなかその癖が直らない。」
That habit just won’t go away.

Here, the focus is on the habit not improving.

So although feelings and judgments can appear in sentences with 直す and 直る, they are not the main reason for choosing one verb over the other.

The basic question remains:

Are we looking at the person changing something, or at the thing that changes?

The Difference Between 直す and 直る

The most important points can be summarized like this.

直す (Naosu)

• It is a transitive verb.
• Someone actively changes or corrects something.
• A common pattern is 「人が＋物を＋直す」.
• It often focuses on an action or intention.
• Common expressions include 「パソコンを直す」「間違いを直す」「姿勢を直す」.

直る (Naoru)

• It is an intransitive verb.
• Something that was broken, incorrect, or undesirable returns to a normal or better state.
• A common pattern is 「物・状態が＋直る」.
• It often focuses on the result or change of state.
• Common expressions include 「パソコンが直る」「故障が直る」「癖が直る」.

A simple way to remember them is:

「誰かが何かを直す。」
Someone fixes something.

「何かが直る。」
Something gets fixed.

Check the Difference Through Example Sentences

Example 1

「父が壊れた時計を直してくれました。」
My father fixed my broken watch for me.

The father actively does something to the watch.

The focus is on the action, so 直す is natural.

Example 2

「昨日まで動かなかった時計が、やっと直りました。」
The watch that had not worked until yesterday is finally fixed.

The focus is on the watch changing from a broken state to a working state.

Therefore, 直る is used.

Example 3

「作文の間違いを直してください。」
Please correct the mistakes in your composition.

This is a very common expression in school.

The learner intentionally corrects the mistakes, so 直す is appropriate.

Compare this with:

「作文の間違いが直りました。」
The mistakes in the composition have been corrected.

Now the sentence focuses on the result, so 直る is used.

Example 4

「先生に教えてもらって、発音の間違いが直りました。」
After receiving guidance from my teacher, my pronunciation mistakes were corrected.

The teacher’s help is mentioned, but the main focus is the result: the pronunciation problem disappeared.

Therefore, 直る is natural.

Example 5

「この書類は数字が違っているので、直しておいてください。」
The numbers in this document are wrong, so please correct them.

This kind of sentence is common in the workplace.

The listener is being asked to actively correct the document, so 直す is used.

Example 6

「システムのエラーはもう直りました。」
The system error has already been fixed.

This sounds natural in business and IT situations.

The sentence focuses on the error no longer being present.

Example 7

「猫背を直したいので、毎日姿勢を意識しています。」
I want to correct my hunched posture, so I pay attention to my posture every day.

The speaker is intentionally trying to change their posture.

That makes 直す natural.

Example 8

「子どものころからの癖が、なかなか直りません。」
A habit I have had since childhood just won’t go away.

The focus is on whether the habit changes.

Therefore, 直る is used.

Example 9

「自転車を直したら、また乗れるようになりました。」
After I fixed the bicycle, I was able to ride it again.

「自転車を直した」 focuses on the action of repairing the bicycle.

Example 10

「自転車が直ったので、また乗れるようになりました。」
The bicycle was fixed, so I could ride it again.

「自転車が直った」 focuses on the result: the bicycle became usable again.

The real-world event can be almost identical, but the speaker’s point of view changes the verb.

How to Read 直す and 直る on the JLPT

When you see 直す or 直る in an JLPT reading passage, do not look only at the dictionary meaning.

First, check who or what is marked by the particles.

A typical 直す sentence looks like:

「AがBを直す」

For example:

「技術者が機械を直した。」
The technician fixed the machine.

The technician performs the action, and the machine is the target of that action.

A typical 直る sentence looks like:

「Bが直る」

For example:

「機械が直った。」
The machine was fixed.

The machine itself is presented as changing state.

You should also check the sentences before and after it.

Consider:

「何度も修理を試みた結果、ようやく機械が直った。」
After repeated attempts to repair it, the machine was finally fixed.

「修理を試みた」 describes the action.

「機械が直った」 describes the result.

This action-versus-result relationship often appears in Japanese texts.

However, something can 直る even when nobody is clearly described as fixing it.

For example:

「テレビの調子が悪かったが、しばらくしたら自然に直った。」
The television was not working properly, but after a while it returned to normal on its own.

So when reading, ask yourself:

• Who is performing an action?
• What is changing?
• Is the writer describing a cause or an action?
• Is the writer describing a result or change of state?

Looking at the surrounding context will help you understand much more than simply memorizing “直す = fix” and “直る = be fixed.”

Summary

直す (naosu) and 直る (naoru) both describe movement from a bad or incorrect state toward a better or normal state.

The difference is perspective.

• 直す = someone actively fixes or corrects something
• 直る = something becomes fixed or returns to a normal state
• 「パソコンを直す」 focuses on the repair action
• 「パソコンが直る」 focuses on the result
• Both verbs are very common in everyday conversation
• In JLPT reading, pay attention to particles, the person performing the action, and the thing changing state

Instead of memorizing transitive and intransitive verbs as isolated grammar rules, try learning them as connected situations:

「人が直す → 物が直る」
A person fixes something → the thing gets fixed.

Japanese has many verb pairs like this. Knowing the dictionary meanings is only the first step. To use them naturally, you need practice choosing the right word in context.

RJT (Rapid Japanese Training) helps you build that skill through JLPT-style questions that train you to recognize subtle differences in vocabulary and grammar.

If you want to move from “I understand the meaning” to “I can choose the natural Japanese expression,” practice with RJT:

https://rapid-jt.com/