を (direct object)

• 読み: を
• ローマ字: o
• 形: Noun + を + Transitive verb

意味

A particle that marks the direct object of a transitive verb, indicating what the action is performed upon. It connects the thing being acted on with the verb that acts on it.

を (pronounced 'o' in modern Japanese) is the primary direct object marker. It appears between the object noun and its transitive verb. Unlike English, Japanese word order is flexible, but を always follows the noun it marks. を can only be used with transitive verbs; using it with intransitive verbs is incorrect. In casual speech, を is sometimes dropped, especially after pronouns, but it is always required in written and formal speech. Be careful not to confuse this use of を with its other functions marking a path of movement or point of departure.

例文

1. 毎朝パンを食べます。
2. 弟は本を読んでいる。
3. 日本語を勉強しています。

使い方ガイド

場面: spoken, written, everyday

トーン: descriptive

正しい言い方

• 水を飲みたいです。
• 映画を見ましょう。
• 友達にプレゼントを買いました。

避ける言い方

• 公園を遊びました。(を cannot be used with the intransitive verb 遊ぶ) → 公園で遊びました。
• 音楽をが好きです。(Using both を and が with 好き — 好き takes が, not を) → 音楽が好きです。

起源と歴史

を has been used as an object marker since Old Japanese. Its pronunciation shifted from 'wo' to 'o' in the modern era, though the kana を is retained in writing to distinguish it from the vowel お.

文化的背景

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal