を – Marking the Direct Object in Japanese [JLPT N5]

を – Marking the Direct Object in Japanese [JLPT N5]

Quick Summary

  • Meaning: を marks the direct object — the thing that receives the action of a verb. It’s pronounced “o.”
  • How to Use: Put を after the noun (object) and before the verb.

Example:

  • 私の猫は新聞を読みます。
  • Watashi no neko wa shinbun o yomimasu.
  • My cat reads the newspaper.

Overview

In Japanese, を marks the direct object of a sentence — the thing your action directly affects. Use it with transitive verbs like 食べます (tabemasu, to eat), 読みます (yomimasu, to read), and 作ります (tsukurimasu, to make). The basic idea: Someone does something to something. The “something” right before を is your object.

Good news: を never changes. The verb can be in any tense or form, but を stays the same. Another handy use you’ll see early on: with motion verbs like 歩きます (arukimasu, to walk) and 走ります (hashirimasu, to run), を can mark the route or space you move through.

Pronunciation tip: the particle を is pronounced “o”. On keyboards you usually type “wo,” but you’ll pronounce it just “o.”

Quick tip: を marks the object, while が marks the subject. Start by asking, “What is being acted on?” — that’s your を.

Structure / Formation

Base formulas

  • N を V
  • N を V-ます
  • N を V-た / V-ない
  • N を V-たい
  • N を V-ている
  • Place を V (motion/route)

How to form and use を

1) Choose the object noun. 2) Add を after it. 3) Put the verb at the end. That’s it. The subject (often with は or が) can appear before, but the object + を sits right before the verb.

Example:

  • 宇宙人はパンを食べます。
  • Uchūjin wa pan o tabemasu.
  • Aliens eat bread.

You can change the verb form and keep を:

  • 宇宙人はパンを食べたいです。
  • Uchūjin wa pan o tabetai desu.
  • The alien wants to eat bread.

Route or space with motion verbs

With movement verbs like 歩きます (arukimasu, to walk) and 走ります (hashirimasu, to run), を can mark the path you pass through. Think “move through X.”

Example:

  • ペンギンは公園を走ります。
  • Pengin wa kōen o hashirimasu.
  • The penguin runs through the park.

Pronunciation and typing

を is pronounced “o”. When typing, enter “wo” to get を, but say it as “o.” The spelling is special, but the sound is simple.

Usage tip: を vs が

  • が marks the doer or what exists/appears (the subject).
  • を marks the thing the action hits (the object).

Try this thinking: “Who does it?” → が/は. “What do they do it to?” → を.

Politeness and casual speech

を never changes. Only the verb changes form: 食べます (tabemasu, to eat) → 食べました (tabemashita, ate), 食べない (tabenai, don’t eat), 食べている (tabete iru, be eating). In casual talk, people sometimes drop を in fast speech, but for clear, correct Japanese, keep を in your sentences.

Example Sentences

  • ロボットは宿題を食べます。
  • Robotto wa shukudai o tabemasu.
  • Robots eat homework.

  • 金魚はマンガを読みません。
  • Kingyo wa manga o yomimasen.
  • The goldfish doesn't read manga.

  • おじいさんはきのうロボットのケーキを作りました。
  • Ojīsan wa kinō robotto no kēki o tsukurimashita.
  • Grandpa made a robot cake yesterday.

  • 私はタイムマシンを買いたいです。
  • Watashi wa taimu mashin o kaitai desu.
  • I want to buy a time machine.

  • 忍者は図書館を走ります。
  • Ninja wa toshokan o hashirimasu.
  • The ninja runs through the library.

Quick Practice

(Answers and explanations are right under this section.)

Multiple-Choice

1. Choose the correct polite sentence: “I drink water.”

  • A. 私は水を飲みます。(Watashi wa mizu o nomimasu.)
  • B. 私は水が飲みます。(Watashi wa mizu ga nomimasu.)
  • C. 私は水と飲みます。(Watashi wa mizu to nomimasu.)
  • D. 私は水や飲みます。(Watashi wa mizu ya nomimasu.)

2. Choose the correct polite negative sentence: “The alien does not read the newspaper.”

  • A. 宇宙人は新聞を読みません。(Uchūjin wa shinbun o yomimasen.)
  • B. 宇宙人は新聞が読みません。(Uchūjin wa shinbun ga yomimasen.)
  • C. 宇宙人は新聞と読みません。(Uchūjin wa shinbun to yomimasen.)
  • D. 宇宙人は新聞や読みません。(Uchūjin wa shinbun ya yomimasen.)

3. Choose the correct polite past sentence: “Grandma made curry yesterday.”

  • A. おばあさんはきのうカレーを作りました。(Obāsan wa kinō karē o tsukurimashita.)
  • B. おばあさんはきのうカレーが作りました。(Obāsan wa kinō karē ga tsukurimashita.)
  • C. きのうおばあさんはカレーを作ります。(Kinō obāsan wa karē o tsukurimasu.)
  • D. おばあさんはきのうカレーを作りません。(Obāsan wa kinō karē o tsukurimasen.)

4. Choose the sentence that means “The robot runs through the station.”

  • A. ロボットは駅を走ります。(Robotto wa eki o hashirimasu.)
  • B. ロボットは駅で走ります。(Robotto wa eki de hashirimasu.)
  • C. ロボットは駅に走ります。(Robotto wa eki ni hashirimasu.)
  • D. ロボットは駅と走ります。(Robotto wa eki to hashirimasu.)

5. Choose the correct sentence with たい-form: “The panda wants to eat cake.”

  • A. パンダはケーキを食べたいです。(Panda wa kēki o tabetai desu.)
  • B. パンダはケーキに食べたいです。(Panda wa kēki ni tabetai desu.)
  • C. パンダはケーキと食べたいです。(Panda wa kēki to tabetai desu.)
  • D. パンダはケーキや食べたいです。(Panda wa kēki ya tabetai desu.)

Spot-the-Error

6. One sentence has a を mistake. Which one?

  • A. 私はコーヒーを飲みます。(Watashi wa kōhī o nomimasu.)
  • B. 兄は音楽を聞きます。(Ani wa ongaku o kikimasu.)
  • C. 友だちは本読みます。(Tomodachi wa hon yomimasu.)

7. One sentence has a を mistake with a motion verb. Which one?

  • A. ペンギンは公園を歩きます。(Pengin wa kōen o arukimasu.)
  • B. 先生は学校を行きます。(Sensei wa gakkō o ikimasu.)
  • C. ロボットは橋を渡ります。(Robotto wa hashi o watarimasu.)

Translation

8. Translate into Japanese (polite, use を): “I am reading a manga.”

9. Translate into Japanese (polite past negative, use を): “The ninja didn’t buy a banana.”

10. Translate into Japanese (polite, use を): “Every day, my robot cleans the room.”

Answers and Explanations

  1. A. 私は水を飲みます。(Watashi wa mizu o nomimasu.) を marks “water” as the direct object; the other particles are incorrect here.
  2. A. 宇宙人は新聞を読みません。(Uchūjin wa shinbun o yomimasen.) The object “newspaper” needs を before the verb in a polite negative sentence.
  3. A. おばあさんはきのうカレーを作りました。(Obāsan wa kinō karē o tsukurimashita.) を correctly marks what was made, and 作りました is polite past.
  4. A. ロボットは駅を走ります。(Robotto wa eki o hashirimasu.) を marks the route you move through; で/に change the meaning (“at” or “to”).
  5. A. パンダはケーキを食べたいです。(Panda wa kēki o tabetai desu.) を marks what the panda wants to eat; the other choices misuse particles or the form.
  6. C. 友だちは本読みます。(Tomodachi wa hon yomimasu.) Missing を after 本; correct is 友だちは本を読みます。(Tomodachi wa hon o yomimasu.)
  7. B. 先生は学校を行きます。(Sensei wa gakkō o ikimasu.) 行きます takes に/へ for destination, not を; use 学校に行きます。(Gakkō ni ikimasu.)
  8. 私はマンガを読んでいます。(Watashi wa manga o yonde imasu.) を marks “manga” as the object; 〜ている shows an ongoing action.
  9. ニンジャはバナナを買いませんでした。(Ninja wa banana o kaimasen deshita.) を marks the object and 〜ませんでした is polite past negative.
  10. 毎日、私のロボットは部屋を掃除します。(Mainichi, watashi no robotto wa heya o sōji shimasu.) を marks “room” as the thing being cleaned with a する-verb.

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