Japanese Grammar – The Particle を

Hello everyone,

Here is a new article around Japanese particles: the particle を.

Pronounciation

Be careful that when used as a particle を is pronounced [o] and not [wo].

Function

The function of the particle を is to indicate the object complement of a sentence.

{object} Indicates that what precedes is the object complement of the sentence.

Examples

If you want to say that you are eating ramen for instance, you would say:

わたし は すし を たべます。

Romaji

[watashi wa sushi o tabemasu.]

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/ I {topic} / sushi {object} / eat / // I eat ramen. //

アリスさん は ほん を よみます。

Romaji

[ARISU-san wa hon o yomimasu.]

[collapse]
/ Alice {topic} / book {object} / read / // Alice reads a book. //

When the topic is obvious, as we saw while discussing the use of the particlés は and が, the topic can be implied:

てがみ を かきます。

Romaji

[tegami o kakimasu.]

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/ Letter {object} / write / // (I) write a letter. //

As you can see, there is no complexity at all with using this particle.

Exercise

Let’s make some sentences with the words indicated using the particle を:

テレビ

Romaji

TEREBI

[collapse]
/ television /, みます 
Romaji

mimasu

[collapse]
/ look /

Answer

テレビ を みます。

[collapse]

コーヒー

Romaji

KO~HI~

[collapse]
/ coffee /, のみます 
Romaji

nomimasu

[collapse]
/ drink /

Answer

コーヒー を  のみます。

[collapse]

Here we are for this lesson. Do not hesitate to comment or ask questions!

Stéphane

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