を (o / wo)
を — marks the direct object
Pattern
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名詞＋を＋他動詞noun + を + transitive verb (りんごを食べる)
Basic use
The word before を is the thing that receives the action: りんごを食べます (eat an apple), 新聞を読みます (read a newspaper), 手紙を書きます (write a letter). The word order is object + を + verb.
Pronunciation
を is pronounced ‘o’, the same as お. Today it is used almost only as this particle, so remember it as the object marker.
Time and place words
A time word such as 毎朝 does not take を; it just sits near the start of the sentence. Also, を is used with verbs that take an object. Verbs like 行く and 来る take に or へ for their destination instead.
Examples
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りんごを食（た）べます。
Ringo o tabemasu.
I eat an apple.
りんご receives the action 食べる.
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毎朝（まいあさ）、新聞（しんぶん）を読（よ）みます。
Maiasa, shinbun o yomimasu.
I read the newspaper every morning.
毎朝 (time) takes no particle.
-
手紙（てがみ）を書（か）きます。
Tegami o kakimasu.
I write a letter.
Pronounced ‘o’, written を.
Common mistakes
- を is pronounced ‘o’, not ‘wo’, but must be written as を, not お.
- Don't use を for destinations: 学校へ行きます, not 学校を行きます.
More grammar points
- は は (wa) — the topic particle
- を を (o) — the object particle
- に に (ni) — time, destination, location
- で で (de) — place of action & means
- と と (to) — and / together with
- の の (no) — possessive & noun linker
- へ へ (e) — direction
- も も (mo) — also / too
- か か (ka) — the question marker
- から から・まで — from … to …
- より より (yori) — than (comparison)
- だけ ～だけ — “only ～”
- で ～で — place, means and cause
- が ～が — marks the subject
- か か — the question particle
- まで ～まで — “until / up to ～”
- も ～も — “also / too”
- なあ ～なあ — sentence-final feeling
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