UNIT 10: The Case Particle 을/를

The case particle 을/를 is a direct object particle. A direct object refers to a noun that receives the direct action of the verb. Just like the subject particle, the direct object particle 을/를 is a two-form case particle. If the preceding noun ends in a consonant then, 을 is used. On the other hand, 를 is used when the preceding noun ends in a vowel. For instances,

      옷을  사요  “(I) buy clothes”

      선물을 싸요  “(I) wrap a gift”

      버스를 타요  “(I) ride a bus”

      일기를  써요  “(I) write a diary”

Even though the case particle 을/를 generally marks the direct object of the Korean transitive verb, there is one special case that it can appear with the intransitive verb (i.e., a verb that does not require an object) like of 오다 “come” or 가다 “go”. Consider the following instances,

      하늬는 오후  8 시에 집에 와요   “As for Honey, (she) comes home at 8 pm”

      하늬는 오후  8 시에 집을 와요   “As for Honey, (she) comes home at 8 pm”

Notice that  집 “home” can be marked by both locative particle 에 and direct object particle 을.

Noun + 을/를 + 해요

In Hangul, one of the most functional ways to change a noun into a verb form is through adding 을/를 해요 to a noun. The verb 하다 “do” of Korean is indeed very capable and adaptable that it can appear after a noun then transforms the meaning denoted by the noun as a verb form. For further explanation, consider the following instances,

      헨리가 야구를 해요  “Henry plays baseball”

      재인이 요가를 해요  “Jane does yoga”

      매이가 한국어를 잘 해요  “May speaks Korean well”

      지안이 공항에서 도착을 해요  “Zian arrives at the airport”

     취미로 조각을 해요  “(I) do carving as a hobby”

      약속을 해요  “(I) do promise”

Due to the appearance of the direct object particle 을/를, the noun being used in “noun + 을/를 + 해요” structure is regarded as an independent noun. On the other hand, without the said case particle 을/를, the structure is regarded as a compound verb. For instance, consider the following sentence structure,

      설명을 해요  “(I) do explanation”

      설먕해요  “(I) explain”

Notice that the first sentence has the particle 를 while the second one does not have the said object particle. Nevertheless, there is no difference in their meanings.

Moreover, a Korean sentence may have two object particles. Consider the sentence “Eric explains the situation” can be said  에릭이 상황을 설명를 해요. However, that same sentence can be constructed in the following three more ways,

      에릭이 상황 설명해요  “Eric explains the situation”

      에릭이 상황을 설명해요  “Eric explains the situation”

      에릭이 상황 설명을 해요  “Eric explains the situation”

Thus, the absence of the particles in the above instances is because of the particle omission tendency in the Korean language.