を marks the direct object of an action verb. It tells you what is being acted on. Although it is written as を, it is pronounced “o.” Key points: • を marks the direct object • It appears with action verbs like 食べます, 見ます, 買います • It is pronounced “o,” not “wo” • It does not mark people or places as subjects For example, in “パンを食べます,” the bread (パン) is the thing being eaten. In “日本語を勉強します,” Japanese is the thing being studied. In beginner sentences, を usually appears before the verb. This helps you quickly see the verb’s object. Many verbs need an object, so を is very common. Be careful not to confuse を with は or が. は introduces the topic, が marks the subject, and を marks the direct object. If the verb is something you do to an object, you likely need を. Once you learn more, you will also see を used with movement verbs like “公園を歩きます” (walk through the park). For now, focus on the basic action-verb pattern: Object を Verb.