を

を marks the direct object — the thing or matter the verb acts on: パンを食べます (eat bread), 本を読みます (read a book).

を serves only a grammatical role and is pronounced お. The character を does not appear in ordinary vocabulary — whenever you see を, you know a verb is coming.

Note: some Japanese verbs do not take を even though their Vietnamese translation sounds like it has an object. For example, 会います (to meet) takes に (友達に会います), and 好きです (to like) takes が.

Examples

• 毎日(まいにち)コーヒーを飲(の)みます。

  I drink coffee every day.

• 昨日(きのう)映画(えいが)を見(み)ました。

  I watched a movie yesterday.

• 手紙(てがみ)を書(か)きました。

  I wrote a letter.

Related patterns

• が
• 〜ます・〜ません・〜ました・〜ませんでした
• 〜をください