을/를
Object Marker
Use 을/를 to mark the noun that receives the action of a verb. Use 을 after a consonant and 를 after a vowel.
How It Works
The object marker is one of the most fundamental particles in Korean. It clearly identifies which noun in the sentence is the direct object—the thing that the verb's action is affecting.
The rule for choosing between 을 and 를 is simple and based on the final sound of the noun it attaches to:
1. Noun ends in a consonant (받침 있음) → + 을
- 책 (book) + 을 → 책을
- 밥 (rice) + 을 → 밥을
- 음악 (music) + 을 → 음악을
2. Noun ends in a vowel (받침 없음) → + 를
- 사과 (apple) + 를 → 사과를
- 커피 (coffee) + 를 → 커피를
- 영화 (movie) + 를 → 영화를
Using these particles is crucial because Korean word order can be more flexible than English. While the most common order is Subject-Object-Verb, particles like 이/가 (subject marker) and 을/를 ensure the meaning is clear regardless of word position.
For example, both "제가 사과를 먹어요" and "사과를 제가 먹어요" mean "I eat an apple." The particle 를 makes it clear that "사과" is the object in both sentences.
It's important not to confuse the object marker 을/를 with the subject marker 이/가 or the topic marker 은/는.
Examples (4)
- 저는 책을 읽어요.
I read a book.
Word by Word: I book(object) read.
책 ends with a consonant (ㄱ), so the object marker 을 is used.
- 친구가 사과를 먹어요.
My friend eats an apple.
Word by Word: Friend apple(object) eats.
사과 ends with a vowel (ㅏ), so the object marker 를 is used.
- 학생이 한국어를 공부해요.
The student studies Korean.
Word by Word: Student Korean(object) studies.
한국어 ends with a vowel (ㅓ), so 를 is used.
- 고양이가 물을 마셔요.
The cat drinks water.
Word by Word: Cat water(object) drinks.
물 ends with a consonant (ㄹ), so 을 is used.
Common Mistakes
Confusing the object marker (을/를) with the subject marker (이/가).
Not Quite저는 책이 읽어요.Better저는 책을 읽어요.The book (책) is the object being read, not the subject doing the reading. The subject is 'I' (저). Therefore, you must use the object marker 을.
Using the wrong particle based on the final sound.
Not Quite커피을 마셔요.Better커피를 마셔요.The noun 커피 ends in a vowel, so you must use 를, not 을.
Using 을/를 with descriptive verbs (adjectives) or 이다.
Not Quite날씨를 좋아요.Better날씨가 좋아요.The object marker 을/를 is only used with action verbs. Descriptive verbs like 좋다 (to be good) do not take direct objects. In this case, 'weather' is the subject, so you should use the subject marker 이/가.
Related Patterns
- 이/가Subject Marker
This is the subject marker. It marks who or what is performing the verb's action, while 을/를 marks what is receiving the action. They are a fundamental pair to distinguish.
- 은/는Topic Marker
This is the topic marker. Learners often confuse it with both 이/가 and 을/를. While 은/는 can mark the subject, its main role is to introduce or emphasize a topic. Understanding the difference is a key step for beginners.
- Word order basics
Particles like 을/를 are the reason Korean word order is more flexible than English. Because the particle clearly marks the object, its position in the sentence can change without losing the core meaning.
- Core sentence particles
을/를 is one of the most important core sentence particles in Korean, along with subject and topic markers. It helps define the grammatical structure of a sentence.