を (direct object)

Marks the direct object of a transitive verb; also the place passed through / left.

を marks the thing that an action is done to: パンを食べます "I eat bread" (bread receives the eating). It is written を but pronounced お. A second use: with verbs of movement it marks the place you move through or leave: 公園を散歩します "walk through the park", 家を出ます "leave the house".

With any action verb that does something to something: eat, drink, read, write, buy, watch, do. Also with 出る (leave), 歩く／散歩する (walk through), 渡る (cross), 降りる (get off).

• Noun + を + action verb (本を読む)
• Place + を + 出る／出発する (家を出る)
• Place + を + 歩く／散歩する／渡る (道を渡る)

1. 01

   パンを食べます。

   パンを たべます。

   I eat bread.

   Basic use: the thing eaten takes を.

2. 02

   公園を散歩します。

   こうえんを さんぽします。

   I walk through the park.

   Movement through a space: "through the park".

3. 03

   七時に家を出ます。

   しちじに いえを でます。

   I leave the house at seven.

   Leaving a place: 家を出ます.

4. 04

   毎晩テレビを見ます。

   まいばん テレビを みます。

   I watch TV every night.

   The thing watched takes を.

5. 05

   次の駅で電車を降ります。

   つぎの えきで でんしゃを おります。

   I get off the train at the next station.

   Getting off (leaving) the train uses を; the place where it happens uses で.

• が

  Likes, abilities and wants (好き・できる・ほしい) take が, not を, because they are not actions. Compare side by side

• で

  で marks WHERE an action happens (公園で遊ぶ); を marks the space you move through (公園を歩く). Compare side by side

• に

  に marks the destination (家に帰る); を marks the place you leave (家を出る). Compare side by side

• ✗

  コーヒーが飲みます。

  ✓

  コーヒーを飲みます。

  Why

  飲む is an action verb, so the thing drunk takes を.

• ✗

  音楽を好きです。

  ✓

  音楽が好きです。

  Why

  好き is not an action; its object takes が.

• ✗

  家に出ます。

  ✓

  家を出ます。

  Why

  Leaving a place uses を. に would mean going to the house.

Pronounced お. Verbs of movement (歩く・走る・散歩する・出る・降りる) take を for the space traversed or departed.