What Does 을/를 Mean in Korean?
Written and reviewed by Jun and Jin, native Korean speakers
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After this page, you can mark the object of a sentence with 을/를 (eul/reul), choosing 을 or 를 from the last letter of the noun.
10-second answer
What does Eul/Reul mean?
을/를 (eul/reul) is a Korean particle that marks the object of a verb — the thing an action is done to. It answers "what?" after a verb like eat, buy, watch, or like.
저는 커피를 마셔요.
jeoneun keopi-reul masyeoyo.
I drink coffee.
Literally: As for me, coffee (object) [I] drink.
Quick check — did that land?
1. Which particle follows 밥 (ends in a consonant) as the object?
커피를! Why 를? It marks coffee as the thing you're drinking.
Start With the Example
커피 (coffee) + 를 marks coffee as the thing being drunk. English shows this with word order alone ("I drink coffee"); Korean shows it with a particle, so word order is more flexible.
See also: 은/는 — the topic marker
을 or 를?
| Noun ends in… | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a consonant | 을 | 밥 + 을 → 밥을 |
| a vowel | 를 | 커피 + 를 → 커피를 |
Same pattern as 은/는 and 이/가: consonant gets the -ㄴ/-ㄹ-less form, vowel gets the smoother one.
More Examples
밥을 먹었어요.
bap-eul meogeosseoyo.
I ate (a meal).
In everyday speech 을/를 is often dropped and the sentence shortened: 밥 먹었어 (bap meogeosseo), 영화 봤어 (yeonghwa bwasseo), 한국어 공부해요 (hangugeo gongbuhaeyo), 저 커피 마셔요 (jeo keopi masyeoyo).
영화를 봤어요.
yeonghwa-reul bwasseoyo.
I watched a movie.
한국어를 공부해요.
hangugeo-reul gongbuhaeyo.
I study Korean.
The particle drops in casual speech — 밥 먹었어? is a whole greeting on its own: 밥 먹었어? (bap meogeosseo).
Korean Word Order Is Flexible — Because of Particles
Because 를 marks "coffee" as the object no matter where it sits in the sentence, Korean can reorder for emphasis in ways English can't:
저는 커피를 마셔요.
I drink coffee. (neutral)
커피를 저는 마셔요.
Coffee, I drink. (emphasizing coffee)
Sounds a bit poetic/emphatic, but is grammatical — English can't casually do this.
Casual Speech Often Drops It
In fast, casual conversation, Koreans frequently drop 을/를 (and other particles) when the meaning is obvious from context:
나 밥 먹었어.
na bap meogeosseo.
I ate.
밥을 → just 밥. Totally natural casually; keep the particle in careful/written speech.
Common Mistakes
Mistake #1 — Always including it like English word order requires
You don't need 을/를 for every noun near a verb — only the object of that verb. 학교에 가요 ("go to school") uses 에 (to), not 를.
Mistake #2 — Assuming dropped particles mean sloppy Korean
Dropping 을/를 in casual speech is completely normal, not an error — the opposite (always including it) can sound slightly stiff among friends.
Mini Quiz
2. 저는 영화___ 봤어요. (I watched a movie.) Fill the blank:
3. 학교___ 가요. (Go to school.) Which particle fits?
Related Knowledge
Learn Next
Korean Sentence Structure Basics
You now know the three core particles — see how they fit into full Korean sentences.
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