🇯🇵 JAPANESE · N5 GRAMMAR

Grammar 04 — Object & Direction Particles: を, に, へ

を・に・へ  ·  O · Ni · He

Grammar Explanation & Practice

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📋 Formation Reference — を, に, へ

How to form and use object & direction particles. Press ▶ to hear examples.

を — DIRECT OBJECT MARKER
[OBJECT] を [VERB]
[object] o [verb]
→ "[VERB] [OBJECT]."
JapaneseRomajiMeaning▶
パンを たべます Pan o tabemasu I eat bread
みずを のみます Mizu o nomimasu I drink water
に — MULTI-PURPOSE PARTICLE
FunctionExampleRomajiMeaning▶
Destination がっこうに いきます Gakkou ni ikimasu I go to school
Time point しちじに おきます Shichiji ni okimasu I wake up at 7
Indirect object ともだちに あげます Tomodachi ni agemasu I give to a friend
Existence location ここに います Koko ni imasu I am here
へ — DIRECTION (TOWARD)
[PLACE] へ [MOVEMENT VERB]
[place] e [movement verb]
→ "Toward [PLACE]." (emphasis on direction, not arrival)
JapaneseRomajiMeaning▶
にほんへ いきます Nihon e ikimasu I go toward Japan

🗣 Example Sentences

See how を, に, and へ work in context. Press ▶ to hear each sentence.

を — DIRECT OBJECT
Example
まいにち みずを のみます。
Mainichi mizu o nomimasu.
I drink water every day.
まいにち [OBJECT] を [VERB]
mainichi mizu o nomimasu
→ "Every day I drink water."
Example
にほんごを べんきょうします。
Nihongo o benkyou shimasu.
I study Japanese.
に — DESTINATION, TIME & MORE
Destination
あした とうきょうに いきます。
Ashita Toukyou ni ikimasu.
I will go to Tokyo tomorrow.
あした [PLACE] に [VERB]
ashita Toukyou ni ikimasu
→ "Tomorrow I go to Tokyo."
Time
くじに がっこうに いきます。
Kuji ni gakkou ni ikimasu.
I go to school at 9.
Indirect object
ははに でんわを します。
Haha ni denwa o shimasu.
I call my mother.
Existence
つくえの うえに ほんが あります。
Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu.
There is a book on the desk.
へ — DIRECTION & を — TRAVERSAL
Direction
にほんへ りょこうしたいです。
Nihon e ryokou shitai desu.
I want to travel to Japan.
[PLACE] へ [VERB]
Nihon e ryokou shitai desu
→ "I want to travel toward Japan."
Traversal
こうえんを さんぽします。
Kouen o sanpo shimasu.
I walk through the park.
を marks what you DO something TO
✅ CORRECT
パンを たべます。
Pan o tabemasu.
I eat bread.
を marks the direct object of an action verb.
❌ COMMON MISTAKE
すしを すきです。
Sushi o suki desu.
I like sushi.
すき uses が, not を → すしが すきです。
に has 5+ uses — learn them by context
✅ DESTINATION
がっこうに いきます。
Gakkou ni ikimasu.
I go to school.
に marks where you are going.
✅ TIME POINT
しちじに おきます。
Shichiji ni okimasu.
I wake up at 7.
Specific times need に. Relative times (あした, きょう) do not.
に vs へ — interchangeable for "go to [place]"
✅ に = ARRIVAL
がっこうに いきます。
Gakkou ni ikimasu.
I go to school.
Focus on the destination (where you arrive).
✅ へ = DIRECTION
にほんへ いきます。
Nihon e ikimasu.
I go toward Japan.
Focus on the direction (the journey). Only に works for time and existence.
を for traversal — moving through a space
✅ TRAVERSAL
はしを わたります。
Hashi o watarimasu.
I cross the bridge.
を marks the space you move through (cross, walk along, leave).
✅ TRAVERSAL
みちを あるきます。
Michi o arukimasu.
I walk along the road.
Same pattern: を + movement verb = traversal.

A  — Flashcards

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B  — Listen & Choose the Meaning

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D  — Listen & Write in Romaji

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💡 Tip: Long vowels → double the vowel (おう = ou / oo). Double consonants → write them twice (きって = kitte).

を is written を but pronounced "o"

The particle を is written with the hiragana を (wo) but always pronounced "o" in modern Japanese. This kana is used exclusively as a particle — you will never see it inside a word. If you hear "o" between a noun and a verb, it is always を.
[NOUN] を [ACTION VERB]
[noun] o [action verb]
→ "Do [verb] to [noun]."
テレビを みます。
Terebi o mimasu.
I watch TV.

When を is NOT used: すき, わかる, できる

Some verbs that take a direct object in English use が instead of を in Japanese. The most important ones at N5 level are: すきです (like), わかります (understand), and できます (can do). These express states or abilities rather than direct actions, so the thing you like/understand/can do is marked with が.
にほんごが わかります。
Nihongo ga wakarimasu.
I understand Japanese. (NOT にほんごを わかります)

Time + に: when you need it and when you don't

Specific times need に: しちじに (at 7), げつようびに (on Monday), さんがつに (in March). But relative time words do NOT use に: あした (tomorrow), きょう (today), まいにち (every day), きのう (yesterday). The rule: if the time has a number or a fixed calendar name, use に. If it is relative to "now," skip に.
[SPECIFIC TIME] に [VERB]
[specific time] ni [verb]
→ "At/on [specific time], [verb]."
ろくじに ばんごはんを たべます。
Rokuji ni bangohan o tabemasu.
I eat dinner at 6.

に for giving and sending

When you give, send, teach, or show something to a person, that person is marked with に. This is the "indirect object" use. Common verbs: あげます (give), もらいます (receive — the source person gets に), おしえます (teach), みせます (show), でんわをします (call).
せんせいに しつもんを します。
Sensei ni shitsumon o shimasu.
I ask the teacher a question.

へ: softer, more poetic direction

While に and へ are often interchangeable for movement verbs (いきます, きます, かえります), へ carries a softer, more literary nuance — it emphasises the direction rather than the specific destination. へ is common in letters, formal writing, and signs. For everyday conversation, に is more common. Only に can be used for time, existence, and indirect objects — へ is strictly for direction.
みなみへ むかいます。
Minami e mukaimasu.
I head toward the south.
JapaneseRomajiEnglish▶
パン pan bread
みず mizu water
がっこう gakkou school
とうきょう Toukyou Tokyo
つくえ tsukue desk
ほん hon book
こうえん kouen park
はし hashi bridge
でんわ denwa telephone
りょこう ryokou travel