In Japanese,
を is a particle that marks the object of an action. This means that the
subject (the person or thing performing an action) is performing that action with the
object being the goal/target of the action. In most cases, whatever
を is attached to will not actually be ‘doing’ anything, but will instead have something being done to it.
-
ラーメンを食(た)べる。
To eat ramen.
-
歌(うた)を歌(うた)います。
To sing a song.
In these sentences,
を is marking the thing that is having an action performed ‘on’ it. This is how the Japanese language views the ‘
object’. However, unlike English, an
object can also be a place in which an action is performed ‘through’, if the goal of that action is based in that location itself.
-
公園(こうえん)を歩(ある)く。
To walk through a park. (The park is the object that ‘walking’ is being performed through)
-
建物(たてもの)の中(なか)を走(はし)る。
To run through a building. (The inside of the building is the object that ‘running’ is being performed through)
In these sentences,
を is marking the place ‘through’ which the action is taking place. This use of
を highlights that the place itself is what is being interacted with (running/walking requires interaction with the ground, so the ground/place is the object).