を
Grammar Pattern
marks the direct object of an action; indicates what is acted on
を
marks the direct object of an action; indicates what is acted on
Explanation
を marks the direct object of a verb, meaning the noun that the action directly affects.
It answers “what?” (or “who?”) as the object of the verb.
This particle is used with action verbs such as eating, drinking, reading, watching, buying, and doing.
It does not mark the subject or the topic of a sentence.
In Japanese, objects are often omitted if they are clear from context, but when stated explicitly, を marks them.
Formation
Noun + を + verb
Usage Notes
を is pronounced “o” in modern Japanese.
を is used with transitive verbs (verbs that take an object).
It commonly appears with activities like eating, drinking, reading, listening, watching, buying, and taking photos.
Objects can be nouns, pronouns, or noun phrases modified by の or adjectives.
を is not used with です because です does not take a direct object.
In many sentences, the object is omitted when understood, even though the verb still logically has an object.
Parts of Speech
Particle