을/를 (eul/reul) - Object Marker

The object marker 을/를 (eul/reul) identifies the direct object—what or whom receives the action of a verb. It's essential for transitive verbs and clarifies what is being acted upon.

Form

• 을 (eul) - after consonants
• 를 (reul) - after vowels

Basic Function

Marks the direct object that receives the action of the verb.

Translation: Usually just the object in English, without special marker.

Usage Examples

With Transitive Verbs

Marking what receives the action:

• 밥을 먹어요. (Bab-eul meogeoyo.) - Eat rice.
• 책을 읽어요. (Chaeg-eul ilgeoyo.) - Read a book.
• 물을 마셔요. (Mul-eul mashyeoyo.) - Drink water.
• 영화를 봐요. (Yeonghwa-reul bwayo.) - Watch a movie.

Complete Sentences

Subject + Object + Verb structure:

• 저는 커피를 마셔요. (I drink coffee.)
• 학생이 책을 읽어요. (The student reads a book.)
• 친구가 음악을 들어요. (My friend listens to music.)
• 고양이가 쥐를 잡았어요. (The cat caught a mouse.)

Common Verbs with 을/를

Daily Actions

• 먹다 (meokda) - to eat

  • 밥을 먹어요 (eat rice)
  • 사과를 먹어요 (eat an apple)

• 마시다 (masida) - to drink

  • 물을 마셔요 (drink water)
  • 차를 마셔요 (drink tea)

• 보다 (boda) - to see/watch

  • 영화를 봐요 (watch movie)
  • 친구를 봐요 (see friend)

• 읽다 (ikda) - to read

  • 책을 읽어요 (read book)
  • 신문을 읽어요 (read newspaper)

Communication

• 듣다 (deutda) - to listen

  • 음악을 들어요 (listen to music)

• 말하다 (malhada) - to speak/say

  • 한국어를 말해요 (speak Korean)

• 쓰다 (sseuda) - to write

  • 편지를 써요 (write letter)

Study & Work

• 공부하다 (gongbuhada) - to study

  • 한국어를 공부해요 (study Korean)

• 가르치다 (gareuchida) - to teach

  • 영어를 가르쳐요 (teach English)

• 배우다 (baeuda) - to learn

  • 중국어를 배워요 (learn Chinese)

Actions with Things

• 사다 (sada) - to buy

  • 책을 사요 (buy book)

• 팔다 (palda) - to sell

  • 차를 팔아요 (sell car)

• 만들다 (mandeulda) - to make

  • 케이크를 만들어요 (make cake)

• 청소하다 (cheongsohada) - to clean

  • 방을 청소해요 (clean room)

Transitive vs Intransitive

Transitive Verbs (Use 을/를)

Take a direct object:

• 책을 읽어요. (Read a book.)
• 밥을 먹어요. (Eat rice.)
• 물을 마셔요. (Drink water.)

Intransitive Verbs (Don't use 을/를)

Don't take direct objects:

• 가요. (Go.)
• 와요. (Come.)
• 자요. (Sleep.)
• 걸어요. (Walk.)

Wrong: 학교를 가요. ❌ Correct: 학교에 가요. ✅ (Use 에 for destination)

Multiple Objects

Some verbs can take two objects (indirect + direct):

[Indirect Object + 에게/한테] + [Direct Object + 을/를] + [Verb]

• 친구에게 선물을 줬어요. (Gave a gift to friend.)
• 선생님께 질문을 했어요. (Asked a question to teacher.)
• 동생한테 돈을 빌려줬어요. (Lent money to sibling.)

Object Emphasis

Using 을/를 can emphasize what is being acted upon:

Neutral:

• 밥 먹어요. (Eat rice.) - Casual, object understood

Emphasized:

• 밥을 먹어요. (Eat RICE.) - Clear emphasis on rice as object

In formal or written Korean, 을/를 is almost always included. In casual speech, it's sometimes omitted when context is clear.

Common Patterns

Pattern 1: Subject + Object + Verb

[Subject + 이/가] + [Object + 을/를] + [Verb]

• 학생이 책을 읽어요. (Student reads book.)
• 고양이가 물을 마셔요. (Cat drinks water.)

Pattern 2: Topic + Object + Verb

[Topic + 은/는] + [Object + 을/를] + [Verb]

• 저는 커피를 좋아해요. (I like coffee.)
• 친구는 음악을 들어요. (Friend listens to music.)

Pattern 3: Time/Place + Object + Verb

[Time/Place] + [Object + 을/를] + [Verb]

• 어제 영화를 봤어요. (Watched movie yesterday.)
• 도서관에서 책을 읽어요. (Read book at library.)

Object with Adjectives

Some adjectives (descriptive verbs) take objects with 을/를:

좋아하다 (to like)

• 커피를 좋아해요. (Like coffee.)
• 한국 음식을 좋아해요. (Like Korean food.)

싫어하다 (to dislike)

• 비를 싫어해요. (Dislike rain.)

사랑하다 (to love)

• 가족을 사랑해요. (Love family.)

Note: These are technically state verbs that grammatically take objects, unlike pure adjectives.

Object Omission

In casual conversation, 을/를 can be omitted when the object is clear:

Full form:

• 밥을 먹어요. (Eat rice.)

Omitted (casual):

• 밥 먹어요. (Eat rice.)

Context-dependent omission: Q: 뭐 먹어요? (What are you eating?) A: 밥 먹어요. (Eating rice.) - Object particle often dropped

With Movement Verbs

Movement verbs don't use 을/를 for destination:

Wrong: 학교를 가요. ❌ Correct: 학교에 가요. ✅ (to school)

Wrong: 집을 와요. ❌ Correct: 집에 와요. ✅ (to home)

Use 에 or (으)로 for destination/direction, not 을/를.

Special Cases

좋다 vs 좋아하다

좋다 (to be good) - adjective, no object:

• 날씨가 좋아요. (The weather is good.)

좋아하다 (to like) - takes object:

• 날씨를 좋아해요. (Like the weather.)

있다/없다

Existential verbs use 이/가, not 을/를:

Correct: 시간이 있어요. (Have time.) Wrong: 시간을 있어요. ❌

Correct: 책이 없어요. (Don't have book.) Wrong: 책을 없어요. ❌

Common Expressions with 을/를

뭐를 (mworeul) - what (object)

• 뭐를 먹어요? (What are you eating?)

이것을 (igeos-eul) - this (object) 그것을 (geugeos-eul) - that (object) 저것을 (jeogeos-eul) - that over there (object)

무엇을 (mueot-eul) - what (formal object)

• 무엇을 찾으세요? (What are you looking for?)

Sentence Position

Objects typically appear right before the verb:

Standard order:

• 저는 학교에서 책을 읽어요. (I read book at school.)

Can be flexible (particles clarify):

• 책을 저는 학교에서 읽어요. (Book, I read at school.)
• 학교에서 책을 저는 읽어요. (At school, book, I read.)

Particles make the function clear regardless of position.

Direct vs Indirect Objects

Direct Object (을/를)

What directly receives the action:

• 책을 읽어요. (Read book.)
• 물을 마셔요. (Drink water.)

Indirect Object (에게/한테/께)

Recipient of the action:

• 친구에게 책을 줬어요. (Gave book to friend.)
  • 책을 = direct object (book)
  • 친구에게 = indirect object (friend)

Key Points

• ✅ Form: 을 after consonants, 를 after vowels
• ✅ Function: Marks direct object receiving action
• ✅ Usage: With transitive verbs
• ✅ Position: Typically before verb
• ✅ Omission: Can be dropped in casual speech when clear
• ✅ Not for: Movement destinations (use 에/로)
• ✅ Not for: Existential 있다/없다 (use 이/가)

Understanding 을/를 is fundamental for constructing Korean sentences with transitive verbs. It clearly marks what is being acted upon, making sentence meaning explicit even with flexible word order.