The Particle “wo”: Object, Place Passed Through, Point of Departure [JLPT N5]
By Nihongo to Japan · Updated July 3, 2026
「ご飯を食べる」だけじゃない — 「公園を散歩する」「家を出る」, these unexpected を uses.
The Particle “wo”: Object, Place Passed Through, Point of Departure
The particle 「を」 has three main uses, not just the object: ① object “〜 (the direct object)”: 「ご飯を食べる」 (eat a meal), 「本を読む」 (read a book); ② place passed through/of movement “along/through 〜” (with movement verbs): 「公園を散歩する」 (stroll through the park), 「橋を渡る」 (cross a bridge), 「空を飛ぶ」 (fly through the sky); ③ point of departure “leave from 〜” (with departure verbs): 「家を出る」 (leave the house), 「大学を卒業する」 (graduate from university), 「電車を降りる」 (get off the train). ⚠️ Key: movement/passing (散歩する, 渡る, 飛ぶ) and departure (出る, 降りる, 卒業する) also use を, not just objects! ⚠️ Contrast with 「で」: を = the place passed through/of movement; で = the place where an action happens.
🧠 Core nuance: a transitive verb's object, the path passed through, the point of departure
The core is を's three uses: ① object ‘〜 (direct object)' — marking a transitive verb's object (ご飯を食べる = eat a meal, 本を読む = read a book, テレビを見る = watch TV); ② place passed through/of movement ‘along/through …' — with movement, passing verbs (散歩する, 渡る, 飛ぶ, 歩く, 走る, 通る: 公園を散歩する = stroll through the park, 橋を渡る = cross a bridge, 道を歩く = walk along the road, 空を飛ぶ = fly through the sky), を marking the path/space passed through; ③ point of departure ‘leave from …' — with departure, leaving verbs (出る, 降りる, 卒業する, 辞める: 家を出る = leave the house/go out, 電車を降りる = get off the train, 大学を卒業する = graduate from university, 会社を辞める = quit the company), を marking the point of departure. ⚠️ Core point: を isn't just the object! movement/passing (散歩する, 渡る) and departure (出る, 降りる, 卒業する) also use を — an easily overlooked N5 point. ⚠️ Contrast with 「で」: 「を」 = the place passed through/of movement (公園を散歩する = strolling moving through the park); 「で」 = the place where an action happens (公園で遊ぶ = play at the park (a location)). ⚠️ Note: the object of a potential form/ability often uses が (✗ 水泳をできない→水泳ができない). A core N5 particle.
📌 Three Uses
| Use | With what verb | Example |
|---|---|---|
| object | transitive verb | ご飯を食べる |
| place passed through/movement | movement/passing verb | 公園を散歩する/橋を渡る |
| point of departure | departure verb | 家を出る/大学を卒業する |
💬 Example Sentences
- 毎朝、公園をジョギングします。(I jog through the park every morning.) — place passed through/movement
- 七時に家を出ます。(I leave the house at seven.) — point of departure
- この橋を渡ると、駅があります。(Cross this bridge and there's the station.) — place passed through
- 彼は去年、大学を卒業しました。(He graduated from university last year.) — point of departure
- 鳥が空を飛んでいる。(A bird is flying through the sky.) — place passed through/movement
🔄 Compare: を(passing) vs で(place of action) vs を(departure) vs から
| Expression | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| を(passing/movement) | along/through 〜 (moving through) | 公園を散歩する |
| で(place of action) | at 〜 (doing an action) | 公園で遊ぶ |
| を(point of departure) | leave from 〜 | 家を出る |
| から(starting point) | from 〜 (start/depart) | 家から学校まで |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- を isn't just the object: movement/passing (散歩する, 渡る, 飛ぶ) and departure (出る, 降りる, 卒業する) also use を!
- を vs で: を = the place passed through/of movement (公園を散歩); で = the fixed place of an action (公園で遊ぶ).
- Departure uses を: 家を出る, 電車を降りる, 大学を卒業する (the point of departure uses を).
- Ability uses が: the object of a potential form/できる uses が (水泳ができない, ✗ 水泳をできない).
💡 Nuance & When to Use
The particle 「を」 has three uses: object ‘〜' (ご飯を食べる), place passed through/of movement ‘along/through 〜' (公園を散歩する, 橋を渡る, 空を飛ぶ), point of departure ‘leave from 〜' (家を出る, 大学を卒業する). ⚠️ Key: を isn't just the object — movement/passing and departure also use を! Distinguish from the fixed-spot で and the starting-point から. A core N5 particle. A must.
🎯 JLPT Exam Tips
- N5 core: を = object (ご飯を食べる), place passed through/movement (公園を散歩する/橋を渡る), point of departure (家を出る/卒業する).
- Key: を isn't just the object — movement/passing and departure also use を!
- Distinction: を (passing/movement) vs で (place of an action); を (point of departure) vs から (starting point); ability uses が.
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. 「毎朝、公園___ジョギングします。」Which particle?
(A) で (B) に (C) を (D) が
Q2. 「七時に家___出ます。」Which particle?
(A) に (B) が (C) で (D) を
Q3. 「水泳___できません。」Which particle?
(A) を (B) は (C) が (D) に
Q4. 「この橋___渡ると、駅があります。」Which particle?
(A) で (B) を (C) に (D) が
Q5. 「彼は去年、大学___卒業しました。」Which particle?
(A) に (B) で (C) が (D) を
Answer Key
1. (C) を ── jogging is moving through the park (a place passed through), so を. で is for an action fixed at one spot.
2. (D) を ── 出る (leave) uses を for the point of departure: 家を出る.
3. (C) が ── the object of できる (ability) uses が: 水泳ができない.
4. (B) を ── 渡る (cross) uses を for the place passed through: 橋を渡る.
5. (D) を ── 卒業する uses を for the point of departure: 大学を卒業する.