1.
object (grammar); direct object
In grammar, the noun or phrase that receives the action of a verb. In Japanese, the direct object is typically marked with the particle を.
A grammar term composed of 目的 (purpose, objective) + 語 (word). Used in both Japanese grammar instruction and when discussing foreign language grammar.
Common collocations
- 直接目的語: direct object
- 間接目的語: indirect object
- 目的語を取る: to take an object (said of a verb)
- 目的語を省略する: to omit the object
Usage
In Japanese grammar, the concept of 目的語 maps roughly to the noun phrase marked by を. However, Japanese linguistic tradition sometimes analyzes sentence structure differently from Western grammar, so the term is most commonly encountered in foreign language education or comparative grammar.