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.

Before You Start

If は and が still feel similar, start with our guide to が, the subject marker. It explains how は sets the topic before you compare the two particles.

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.

Common Mistakes and Contrasts

• を marks the direct object acted on by a transitive verb.
• Do not use を for the destination of 行く／来る; use に or へ for the destination.

Want to compare this with で, for where and how an action happens? That guide explains how で marks a place or the means of an action.

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.”

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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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Keep going

These are useful next stops if you want to compare nearby grammar patterns:

• Still mixing up this pattern with が, the subject marker? Read that guide to see the difference.
• Need the basics first? Start with the lesson on で, for where and how an action happens.
• Ready for the next step? Continue with と, for “and,” “with,” and quotations.

For the full beginner path, browse the JLPT N5 Japanese Grammar Guide.