You already know は marks the topic and から/まで mark ranges. Now meet を — its job is to tell the verb: here's what you're acting on.
How を Works
を attaches to the end of a noun and marks it as the direct object of the verb:
Noun + を + Verb → Do [verb] to [noun]
The classic example:
私は日本語を勉強します。 → I study Japanese.
Breakdown:
- 私は = I (topic)
- 日本語を = Japanese (the thing being studied)
- 勉強します = study (verb)
を is pronounced o (same as the vowel お), but when writing, you always use を, never お.
Sentence Structure
The basic Japanese verb sentence follows this pattern:
[Topic] は [Object] を [Verb] ます。
| Position | Role | Particle |
|---|---|---|
| Front | Topic (who) | は |
| Middle | Object (what) | を |
| End | Action | verb ます |
More Examples
| Japanese | Breakdown | English |
|---|---|---|
| コーヒーを飲みます。 | コーヒー (coffee) を + 飲みます (drink) | I drink coffee. |
| 新聞を読みます。 | 新聞 (newspaper) を + 読みます (read) | I read the newspaper. |
| テレビを見ます。 | テレビ (TV) を + 見ます (watch) | I watch TV. |
| 手紙を書きます。 | 手紙 (letter) を + 書きます (write) | I write a letter. |
| 朝ご飯を食べます。 | 朝ご飯 (breakfast) を + 食べます (eat) | I eat breakfast. |
Note: The topic 私は is often dropped — in Japanese, "I" is omitted when it's obvious from context. So コーヒーを飲みます simply means "(I) drink coffee."
Translation Trick: Split at を
Struggling with a long sentence? Find を and split there — everything before it is the object, everything after is the verb.
毎朝新聞を読みます。
Split:
- 毎朝 = every morning (time)
- 新聞を = newspaper (object) — split here
- 読みます = read (verb)
- → I read the newspaper every morning
A longer example:
私は毎日午前八時から午後三時まで日本語を勉強します。
Split:
- 私は = I
- 毎日 = every day
- 午前八時から午後三時まで = from 8 AM to 3 PM
- 日本語を = Japanese — split here
- 勉強します = study
- → I study Japanese every day from 8 AM to 3 PM
を vs. は
Beginners often confuse を and は. They have completely different jobs:
| Particle | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| は | Marks the topic (what we're talking about) | 私は学生です |
| を | Marks the object (what the verb acts on) | 日本語を勉強します |
Both can appear in the same sentence:
私は日本語を勉強します。 → 私は (topic) 日本語を (object) 勉強します (action)
Summary
- を (pronounced o) attaches to a noun to mark the direct object of a verb
- Sentence structure: Topic は + Object を + Verb ます
- When translating long sentences, find を and split — object before, verb after
- は marks the topic, を marks the object — they can coexist in one sentence
Practice Questions
Q1. Translate into Japanese: "I watch TV."
Show answer
私はテレビを見ます。 (わたしはテレビをみます。)
私は (I) + テレビを (TV) + 見ます (watch). You can drop 私は if the context is clear.
Q2. What does 「毎朝コーヒーを飲みます。」 mean?
Show answer
I drink coffee every morning.
毎朝 (every morning) + コーヒーを (coffee) + 飲みます (drink). The subject is omitted — from context it's usually "I."
Q3. Where would you split this sentence for translation? 「田中さんは毎晩日本語を勉強します。」
Show answer
Split at を:
- 田中さんは = Tanaka (topic)
- 毎晩 = every evening (time)
- 日本語を = Japanese (object)
- 勉強します = study (verb)
→ Tanaka studies Japanese every evening.