Particles are essential for beginners to understand Japanese grammar although their use can sometimes be a bit difficult. One of the easier ones is the particle を.  This article will break down its main uses, from the most basic to slightly more advanced concepts, to give you a complete picture.


A Quick Note on Pronunciation

Before we dive in, let’s clarify the pronunciation. The particle を uses the hiragana for ‘wo’, but in modern standard Japanese, it is pronounced simply as ‘o’, identical to the vowel お. You will almost never hear it pronounced as ‘wo’ in conversation. The hiragana を is now reserved almost exclusively for its use as a particle.


What are we verbing? Particle を as a direct object marker

The を-particle is mostly used to indicate a direct object in Japanese. Therefore, it’s also called the object particle. It comes after the object or thing that is used by the verb. This applies to what are known as transitive verbs—actions that a subject does to a direct object. Think of it as the action “transferring” from the subject to the object. Here is its use in some standard sentences.

Example 1: Basic Object Marking

お茶を飲みます。
おちゃをのみます。
Ocha o nomimasu.
I drink tea.

お茶        (おちゃ)   = Tea
を                          = (object marker particle)
飲みます  (のみます) = to drink

 

Example 2: Another Basic Object

テレビを見ます。
テレビをみます。
Terebi o mimasu.
I watch television.

テレビ             = Television
を                   = (object marker particle)
見ます (みます) = to look at, to watch

 

A lot of verbs combine naturally with the を-particle, like  食べる (to eat), 聞く (to listen), 飲む (to drink), 読む (to read), 見る (to look at) and 勉強する (to study). Here are some more examples. 

Example 3: With an Adverb

毎日寿司を食べます。
まいにちすしをたべます。
Mainichi sushi o tabemasu.
I eat sushi everyday.

毎日       (まいにち) = Everyday
寿司       (すし)       = Sushi
を                         = (object marker particle)
食べます (たべます) = to eat

 

Example 4: A More Complex Object

BTSの音楽を聞きます。
BTSのおんがくをききます。
BTS no ongaku o kikimasu.
I listen to music from BTS.

の                         = (possessive particle)
音楽       (おんがく) = Music
を                          = (object marker particle)
聞きます (ききます) = to listen

 

Example 5: Past Tense

トルストイの本を読みます。
トルストイのほんをよみます。
Torusutoi no hon o yomimasu.
I read a book from Tolstoy.

本          (ほん)      = Book
を                         = (object marker particle)
読みます (よみます) = to read

 

Example 6: With a Topic Marker

今日は日本語を勉強します。
きょうはにほんごをべんきょうします。
Kyō wa nihongo o benkyō shimasu.
I study Japanese today.

Vocabulary:
今日         (きょう)                 = Today
は                                        = (topic marker particle)
日本語       (にほんご)             = Japanese language
を                                        = (object marker particle)
勉強します (べんきょうします) = to study

 


を to indicate where someone is moving

The を-particle is also used to indicate where someone is moving when it is combined with a verb that indicates motion. The key concept here is that を marks the path or area through which the movement occurs. It’s not the destination (that’s usually に or へ). Think of it as the space you travel “across,” “through,” or “along.”

Example 1: Crossing a Path

あの人は道を渡ります。
あのひとはみちをわたります。
Ano hito wa michi o watarimasu.
That person over there crosses the road.

あの人 (あのひと) = That person over there
は = (topic marker particle)
道 (みち) = Road, street
を = (marker for area of movement)
渡ります (わたります) = to cross over

Example 2: Moving Through a Space

その豚は空を飛びます。
そのぶたはそらをとびます。
Sono buta wa sora o tobimasu.
That pig flies through the sky.

Vocabulary:
その = That
豚 (ぶた) = Pig
は = (topic marker particle)
空 (そら) = Sky
を = (marker for area of movement)
飛びます (とびます) = to fly

Example 3: Running Through an Area

公園を走ります。
こうえんをはしります。
Kōen o hashirimasu.
I run in the park.

Vocabulary:
公園 (こうえん) = Park
を = (marker for area of movement)
走ります (はしります) = to run

Example 4: Turning a Corner

次の角を曲がります。
つぎのかどをまがります。
Tsugi no kado o magarimasu.
I turn the next corner.

次 (つぎ) = Next
の = (possessive particle)
角 (かど) = Corner
を = (marker for area of movement)
曲がります (まがります) = to turn


を for the point of departure

を is also used to specify the point of departure. For example this is used when you get off a train or bus. This can be thought of as a type of movement—moving “out of” or “away from” a specific place or group.

Example 1: Getting Off a Vehicle

バスを降ります。
バスをおります。
Basu o orimasu.
I get off the bus.

バス = Bus
を = (marker for point of departure)
降ります (おります) = to get off (a vehicle)

Example 2: Leaving a Place

家を出ます。
いえをでます。
Ie o demasu.
I leave the house.

家 (いえ) = House
を = (marker for point of departure)
出ます (でます) = to leave, to exit


Example 3: Graduating From

大学を卒業しました。
だいがくをそつぎょうしました。
Daigaku o sotsugyō shimashita.
I graduated from university.

大学 (だいがく) = University
を = (marker for point of departure)
卒業しました (そつぎょうしました) = graduated



When Things Get Complicated: Causative Verbs

A more advanced but very common use of を is in causative sentences, where you talk about making or letting someone do something (e.g., using verbs ending in 〜させる or 〜せる).

If the original verb is intransitive (a verb that doesn’t take a direct object, like ‘to stand’ or ‘to go’), then the person being made to do the action is marked with を.

Example 1: Making Someone Stand

先生は学生を立たせます。
せんせいはがくせいをたたせます。
Sensei wa gakusei o tatasemasu.
The teacher makes the student stand up.


先生 (せんせい) = Teacher
は = (topic marker particle)
学生 (がくせい) = Student
を = (marks the person being made to act)
立たせます (たたせます) = to make someone stand

Example 2: Making Someone Go

母は子供を学校に行かせます。
はははこどもをがっこうにいかせます。
Haha wa kodomo o gakkō ni ikasemasu.
The mother makes/lets the child go to school.

母 (はは) = Mother
子供 (こども) = Child
を = (marks the person being made to act)
学校 (がっこう) = School
に = to (destination particle)
行かせます (いかせます) = to make someone go


(Note: If the verb is transitive, like ‘to eat’, the person is usually marked with に, because を is already used for the direct object: 母は子供に野菜を食べさせます – The mother makes the child eat vegetables.)


A Common Point of Confusion: を vs. が

As you learn more Japanese, you’ll notice that sometimes the particle が is used where you might expect を. This is a big stumbling block for many learners. I left out the extra examples here as it would become too much.

Summary

So to summarize, the を-particle

  • You pronounce the the を-particle as ‘o’, although it has the hiragana for ‘wo’
  • You can use the を-particle as a direct object marker (what is the verb influencing?)
  • the を-particle is used to specify where motion takes place (the path or area you move through)
  • を-particle is used to indicate where someone departs (a point of separation)
  • を-particle marks the person being acted upon in causative sentences with intransitive verbs.

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