動Verbs and descriptions
Doing things
Japanese puts the verb last and marks what it acts on with を. する then turns many words into verbs.
The pattern
The thing を, then the verb
What it's done to
パンをPan obread (that's the thing acted on)
The action, always last
食べます。Tabemasu.eat.
Reading it
を is pronounced “o”
を marks the thing an action is done to. It's written with its own letter and said “o”. English word order tells you who did what, but Japanese uses particles for that, so the order before the verb is flexible. The verb stays last.
You can leave out “I” or “you” when it's clear. パンを食べます is a full sentence.
In use
Common verbs with を
I drink water.
I read a book.
I listen to music.
I write a letter.
The busiest verb
する: do, and much more
I play tennis on weekends.
やる can stand in for する when you're speaking casually.
I do my homework.
I play tennis.
Sports and games use する.
I study.
Add する to many nouns from Chinese to make a verb.
I go for a drive.
It works with words from English too.
I'm wearing a scarf.
Accessories such as ties and scarves use する.
I'll make my daughter a singer.
X を Y にする means “turn X into Y”.
Change it, or it changes
する makes it happen, なる just happens
I'll make the kitchen clean.
Someone causes the change.
The room becomes clean.
The change is just described.
Careful
English objects aren't always を
Not everything English treats as an object takes を in Japanese. Things you like, want or can do take が instead (猫が好きです), and you'll see these soon. A clause also can't normally have two を.
Your turn
は or を?
I'm a student.
Put it together
I eat fish.
Say it yourself
Your evening
A friend asks what you do in the evenings. Tell them one thing you do.
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