〜を〜
Direct object marker
を marks the direct object: the thing an action is done to, as in パンを食べます. It also marks a place you move through or a place you leave.
How to make it
| Rule | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun + を + action verb | パン → パンを食べます |
| Place + を + movement verb (through / along) | 道 → 道をわたります |
| Place + を + 出ます／おります (leaving) | 駅 → 駅を出ます |
Meaning and examples
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1. Direct object
を marks what you eat, drink, buy, read, write and so on. It comes right before the verb that acts on it.
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毎日コーヒーを飲みます。
まいにちコーヒーをのみます。
mainichi koohii o nomimasu.
I drink coffee every day.
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きのう、本を読みました。
きのう、ほんをよみました。
kinou, hon o yomimashita.
I read a book yesterday.
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母にメールを書きます。
ははにメールをかきます。
haha ni meeru o kakimasu.
I'll write an email to my mother.
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何を買いましたか。
なにをかいましたか。
nani o kaimashita ka.
What did you buy?
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2. Place you move through
With verbs like わたる, さんぽする and とぶ, を marks the road, park or sky you move along or across.
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この道をまっすぐ行ってください。
このみちをまっすぐいってください。
kono michi o massugu itte kudasai.
Please go straight along this road.
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とりが空をとんでいます。
とりがそらをとんでいます。
tori ga sora o tonde imasu.
A bird is flying in the sky.
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3. Place you leave
With 出る and おりる, を marks the place or vehicle you get out of.
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八時にうちを出ます。
はちじにうちをでます。
hachiji ni uchi o demasu.
I leave home at eight.
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つぎの駅で電車をおります。
つぎのえきででんしゃをおります。
tsugi no eki de densha o orimasu.
I get off the train at the next station.
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Nuance
を is written with its own kana but pronounced "o", just like お. Some words that feel like objects in English take が instead: すき, ほしい, わかる and できる. In casual speech を is often dropped (コーヒー飲む？), but keep it in polite sentences and on the test.
Compared with
In English you "like something", but in Japanese the thing you like takes が, not を.
に marks where you arrive (学校に行きます); を marks the place you move through or leave (道をわたります).
が marks the subject, the one who does or is something; を marks what the action is done to.
Common mistakes
Wrong日本語をわかります。
Right日本語がわかります。
わかる takes が for the thing you understand.
Wrongコーヒーをすきです。
Rightコーヒーがすきです。
すき is an adjective, so the thing you like takes が.
Wrong電車をのります。
Right電車にのります。
のる takes に for the vehicle you get on.
Practice
JLPT style: choose the best answer for （ ）.
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1「わたしは毎日新聞（ ）読みます。」
新聞 is the thing being read, so it takes を. に, が and で do not mark the object of 読む.
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2「この道（ ）まっすぐ行ってください。」
You move along the road, so を is right. に would mean arriving at the road, and で and が do not fit.
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3「つぎの駅で電車（ ）おります。」
おりる takes を for the vehicle you get off. が, と and や do not mark a place you leave.
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4「わたしは日本語（ ）少しわかります。」
わかる takes が, not を, so が is right. で and の do not fit here.
FAQ
Why is を pronounced "o"?
In modern Japanese を and お sound the same. を is kept only as the object particle, so when you see it you know it is a particle, not part of a word.
Can I leave out を?
In casual speech, yes, people often drop it: ごはん食べた？ In polite speech, writing and the JLPT, keep it.
When do I use が instead of を?
Use が with すき, きらい, ほしい, わかる and じょうず. These describe a state or feeling, not an action done to something.
More in Particles
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