The を (Wo) Particle

Introducing を (wo), the direct object marker

The particle を (wo) is one of the most essential and frequently encountered particles in Japanese. It's primarily used to mark the direct object of a verb—the noun that receives the action. While it's written as "wo," in spoken Japanese, it's often pronounced simply as "o."

Understanding how to use を correctly is crucial for forming grammatically accurate and natural-sounding sentences in Japanese. Let's break down everything you need to know about this particle.

1. What Does を Do in a Sentence?

The particle を is used to mark the object of the verb. It directly follows the noun and precedes the verb.

Example:

すしをたべます。
Sushi o tabemasu.
(I eat sushi.)

Here, すし (sushi) is the direct object, and を links it to the verb たべます (tabemasu), meaning "eat."

Example:

しごとをします。
Shigoto wo shimasu.
(I do work.)

Example:

インスタをみます。
Insta wo mimasu.
(I look at Instagram.)

Note: Japanese people love to abbreviate everything. So Instagram is インスタ(Insta). Smartphone is スマホ (sumaho). If a word has more than 4 syllables, you can bet there's a shorter version in Japanese!

2. Pronunciation and Placement

• Pronunciation: Although it’s written as “wo,” it’s pronounced "o" in modern spoken Japanese.
• Placement: を always follows the noun and directly precedes the verb. There should be no other words between the object and を.

Correct:
ほんをよみます。
Hon o yomimasu.
(I read a book.)

Incorrect:
をほんよみます。
Wo hon yomimasu.
(This is grammatically incorrect.)

Note: Typing "wo" in Japanese

In much of romaji, it's written as "wo" because when you type Japanese... you need to type "w-o" to avoid getting お ("o") instead. Using お would be grammatically incorrect.

3. The Role of を as the Direct Object Marker

Most commonly, を marks the direct object of transitive verbs—verbs that require an object to complete their meaning.

Examples:

どうがをみます。
Douga wo mimasu.
(I watch a video.)

コーヒーをのみます。
Kōhī wo nomimasu.
(I drink coffee.)

メールをかきます。
Meeru wo kakimasu.
(I write an email.)

This usage is consistent across various transitive verbs like 食べる (たべる taberu - to eat), 飲む (のむ nomu - to drink), 見る (みる miru - to see), and 書く (かく kaku - to write).

4. Avoiding Confusion: を vs は vs が

One of the common challenges learners face is distinguishing between the particles を, は, and が. As a rule of thumb:

• を marks the direct object.
• は marks the topic.
• が marks the subject or emphasizes the action’s performer.

Example:

わたしはほんをよみます。
Watashi wa hon wo yomimasu.
(I read a book.)

Here,

• わたし (watashi) is the topic, marked by は.
• ほん (hon) is the object, marked by を.
• よみます (yomimasu) is the verb.

Swapping は and を would confuse the meaning and structure.

5. Using を with Motion and Path Verbs

In addition to marking objects, を can also be used with motion verbs to indicate the path or route through which movement occurs.

Examples:

こうえんをさんぽします。
Kōen wo sanpo shimasu.
(I take a walk through the park.)

みちをわたります。
Michi wo watarimasu.
(I cross the street.)

はしをわたります。
Hashi wo watarimasu.
(I cross the bridge.)

In these cases, を marks the area or route that the subject moves through, extending its use beyond just direct objects.

6. Common Mistakes to Watch Out For

❌ Mistake 1: Omitting を

Unlike particles like は and が, を is rarely dropped in normal speech because it’s crucial for clarifying what the verb is acting upon. Omitting を can make the sentence hard to understand.

Incorrect:
おんがくききます。
Ongaku kikimasu.
(This is incorrect because we don’t know what’s being listened to.)

Correct:
おんがくをききます。
Ongaku wo kikimasu.
(I listen to music.)

❌ Mistake 2: Misplacing を

Place を immediately after the object. Misplacing it will break the sentence structure.

Incorrect:
をほんよみます。
Wo hon yomimasu.
(This is incorrect.)

Correct:
ほんをよみます。
Hon wo yomimasu.
(I read a book.)

7. Quick Practice Examples

Try these sentences and practice speaking:

おちゃをのみます。
Ocha wo nomimasu.
(I drink tea.)

きじをよみます。
Kiji wo yomimasu.
(I read the article.)

えいがをみました。
Eiga wo mimashita.
(I watched a movie.)

みちをはしります。
Michi wo hashirimasu.
(I run along the road.)

Final Notes

• を is never optional when a direct object is present in a sentence.
• It clearly shows what’s being acted upon, making sentences more precise.
• With practice, you’ll become more comfortable using を in various contexts, including with motion verbs and transitive verbs.

Mastering を early on will help you create grammatically correct and natural-sounding Japanese sentences, laying the foundation for fluency.