を

を goes after the thing the verb acts on – what is eaten, drunk, read or bought. The verb comes last. を is read "o".

English shows what the verb acts on by putting it after the verb. Japanese shows it with を, so the word keeps its を wherever it stands. To ask what, use なん何を.

The character を is used for this particle and nothing else. On a keyboard it is typed "wo".

は and も take the place of を

When the thing is the topic, or when you mean "too", は or も replaces を. In everyday Japanese they do not stand next to it; をも survives only in formal writing.

• × お茶をも飲みます → お茶も飲みます

Common mistakes

Some verbs and adjectives that take an object in English do not take を in Japanese. These are the ones a beginner meets.

• すき好き takes が: × ねこを好きです → ねこが好きです
• わかります takes が: × 日本語をわかります → 日本語がわかります
• あいます会います takes に: × 友達を会います → 友達に会います
• のります乗ります takes に: × 電車を乗ります → 電車に乗ります

Usage notes

These go beyond marking what the verb acts on.

Movement through a place

With a verb of movement – あるく歩く, はしる走る, わたる渡る, とぶ飛ぶ, とおる通る, さんぽ散歩する – を marks the place the movement passes through or along.

Leaving a place

With でる出る (to leave), おりる降りる (to get off) and そつぎょう卒業する (to graduate), を marks the place you leave. Getting on takes に; getting off takes を.

Dropped in casual speech

In casual conversation を is often left out when it is clear what the verb acts on. In polite speech and in writing it stays.