Learn Korean

Object Marker 을/를

Object Markers

Finally, naka-move on din

Tuloy pa rin ang awit ng buhay ko 🎶

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

Okay, first of all, which is the object in the sentence?

An object in a sentence is the thing or person that receives the action (described by the verb) from the subject.

Recap: Which is the subject?

The subject is the doer of the action.

So basically, the object in Korean grammar is like the term 'direct object' in the English grammar where the verb in the sentence must be a 'transitive verb' for the object to receive action from the subject.

P.s. Kung hindi po tayo masyadong informed sa English grammar, isearch na lang po natin kasi makakatulong din po yun sa pag-aaral natin ng Korean language.

Look at the sentence example above.

In the sentence, the doer of the verb predicate "eat" is? (Subject)

"friend"/"my friend"

The recipient of the action or the one who receives the action of the doer is? (Object)

"lunch"

But not every sentence contains a subject and an object. Only those sentences containing verbs that take objects will.

Let's compare it again to the English grammar.

Recap:

Verbs that take objects?
= Transitive Verbs

Verbs that don't take objects?
= Intransitive Verbs

So what happens to sentences containing intransitive verbs, in both English and Korean grammar?

They don't contain objects.

For those with transitive verbs, for example "to eat" (like in the example shown above) is a transitive verb since there is something that is eaten (the one/food who receives the action of the verb "to eat"). But to determine if it is transitive/intransitive, it depends on the sentence.

Example 1: I ate pizza.

Example 2: I ate.

The verb in example 1 is a transitive verb because there is an object stated, while the verb in example 2 is intransitive.

REMEMBER: THE OBJECT IS PLACED AFTER THE VERB.

Now that's well taken care of, let's move forward. ;)

Dun na tayo sa mismong markers.

Notice the marker placed after the subject and the object in the sentence?

Subject Marker 가

Object Marker 을

Since we already discussed the subject markers 이/가, let's tackle the object markers 을/를.

Object Markers 을/를

In the English language, the object must be AFTER the verb.

A dog | bites | a person.
subject | verb predicate | object

If you switch the positions of the subject and the object, you get a completely different meaning.

A person | bites | a dog.
subject | verb predicate | object

Ang panget pakinggan diba? Maliban nalang kung 'hotdog' yun, okay lang. 😂 pero hindi e (Oy, wag kayong 'green', ang hotdog ay ulam, hindi kung ano-ano pang iba! Hahaha 😂)

Now, let's go back to Korean. We know that the predicate must be placed at the end of the sentence.

Thus, both subject and object should come before the verb (predicate) with the attachment of their respective case markers.

사람이 | 개를 | 물어요.
subject 'a person' | object 'a dog' | verb predicate 'bite'

"A person bites a dog."

-이 and -를 are subject and object markers, respectively. Since the subject and object are labeled with markers, there is no possibility of confusion, as long as you keep them together.

개를 | 사람이 | 물어요.
object 'a dog' | subject 'a person' | verb predicate 'bite'

"A person bites a dog."

The meaning can only change when you switch the markers.

사람을 | 개가 | 물어요.
object 'a person' | subject 'a dog' | verb predicate 'bite'

"A dog bites a person."

Object particles -을/를
Noun(ends with a consonant) + 을
Noun(ends with a vowel) + 를
Object particles attach to a noun to tell us that noun is an object in a sentence. For example,
밥을 안 먹었어요. I didn't eat a meal.
커피를 마셔요. I am drinking coffee.

Oftentimes, a subject is simply not said in Korean when it is understood.

A: 개가 누구를 물어요? (Who does the dog bite?)

B: 사람을 물어요. ([It] bites a person.)

As you might have noticed, the difference between -을and -를 is purely phonological: when the previous syllable ends with a consonant (patch'im), use -을; with a vowel (no patch'im), use -를.

That's all! Kbye. :)