을/를 Object Particles Lesson

An “object” is the direct object of a transitive verb. (Transitive verb: Is a verb that accepts more than one objects.) The noun in the sentence is the one that “receives” the action. You can think of it as the verb acting on the noun.

Examples:

제가 라면을 먹어요. I eat ramen.

제가 친구를 만나요. I meet a friend.

제가 손을 씻어요. I wash my hands.

제가 커피를 마셔요. I drink coffee.

을 is used when the word that comes before it ends with a consonant. 를 is used when the word that comes before it ends with a vowel.

Action verbs made by noun + 하다 can be used as object + verb like so:

제가 공부를 해요. // I study.

Or contracted into a single word (dropping the object particle):

제가 공부해요. // I study.

If there is already an object, it’s best to use the single-word form:

제가 한국어를 공부해요. (ㅇ) // I study Korean.제가 한국어를 공부를 해요. (x)

Keep in mind that some ~하다 words can’t be separated into a noun + verb!

Adjectives aka descriptive verbs (형용사) do not need the object particle because they don’t have objects.

The subject still takes the subject particle. Usually 은/는 or 이/가 will be used with these. depending on context, either the subject particle or the object particle can be replaced by the topic particle (~은/는).

QUIZ:

1.) 저는 파자(__) 먹어요.

2.) 우리 어머니가 비빔밥(__) 만들어요.

3.) 그들은 한국어(__) 공부해요.

4.) 제 고양이는 떵콩버터(__) 싫어해요

5.) 저는 오늘 숙제(__) 해요.

6.) 우리는 티비(__) 보고 있어요.

7.) 너 소주(__) 마셔요?