To を, or not to を...
Hang in there!
In this lecture, we'll see each of the following verbs, which appeared in our last two lessons:
他動詞（たどうし // transitive verb）
自動詞（じどうし // intransitive verb）
落とす（おとす // to drop; to lose）
落ちる（おちる // to fall）
消す（けす // to turn off; to extinguish）
消える（きえる // to disappear; to go away）
折る（おる // to break [something]; to fracture [something]）
折れる（おれる // to break; to fracture）
And we'll also add an additional pair of verbs:
開ける（あける // to open [something]）
開く（あく // to [be] open）
It might also be a good idea to check out the meanings of these nouns that will appear in our example sentences below, too:
電気（でんき // electricity; lights）
窓（まど // window）
財布（さいふ // wallet）
スパゲッティ（spaghetti）
半分（はんぶん // half）
骨（ほね // bone）
I mentioned this before, but the object of a 他動詞 (たどうし // transitive verb) gets marked by the particle を, like so:
電気を消しました。
でんき を けしました。
I turned off the lights.
Literally: “lights / electricity + を + extinguished / turned off.”
Note: Maybe this goes without saying, but depending on the context, we might say "He," "She," etc. instead of "I" in the translation.
↑ を！
In many cases, though — and especially in informal spoken language — this particle gets dropped:
電気消した。
でんき けした。
I turned off the lights.
Literally: “lights / electricity + extinguished / turned off.”
↑ No を！
In fact, in casual speech, you pretty much never need to use を.
That said, it's not necessarily wrong if you say something like:
電気を消した。
でんき を けした。
I turned off the lights.
Literally: “lights / electricity + を + extinguished / turned off.”
I doubt you'll hear people using を in casual speech all that often, but, yeah, it's possible.
Something similar happens with 自動詞 (じどうし // intransitive verbs).
Since the verb does not take an object, we never have を with a 自動詞.
Instead, we simply have a subject that is performing a given action, and this subject may be marked by the subject-marking particle が：
電気が消えました。
でんき が きえました。
The lights turned off.
Literally: “lights / electricity + が + went out / disappeared.”
It is also possible to drop the particle が in speech, especially informal speech:
電気消えた。
でんき きえた。
The lights turned off.
Literally: “lights / electricity + went out / disappeared.”
That said, it's not wrong to say:
電気が消えた。
でんき が きえた。
The lights turned off.
Literally: “lights / electricity + が + went out / disappeared.”
In my personal experience, dropping が in casual speech is not quite as common as dropping を in casual speech. Still pretty common, though.
✍ Drill Time ✍
Maybe read through the following examples a few times, noting (1) the difference between 他動詞 and 自動詞, (2) the formality of each sentence, and (3) the particles appearing or getting dropped.
Have fun...
他動詞、Formal、を：
窓を開けてください。
まど を あけて ください。
Please open the window.
Literally: “window + を + open (and) + please.”
他動詞、Casual、No を：
窓開けて。
まど あけて。
Open the window. // Will you open the window?
Literally: “window + open (and).”
自動詞、Formal、が：
窓が開いています。
まど が あいています。
The window is open.
Literally: “window + が + is being open.”
自動詞、Casual、No が：
窓開いてる。
まど あいてる。
The window’s open.
Literally: “window + is being open.”
他動詞、Formal、を：
財布を落としました！
さいふ を おとしました！
I lost my wallet!
Literally: “wallet + を + dropped / lost!”
他動詞、Casual、No を：
財布落とした！
さいふ おとした！
I lost my wallet!
Literally: “wallet + dropped / lost!”
自動詞、Formal、が：
財布が落ちています。
さいふ が おちています。
There is a wallet on the ground.
Literally: “wallet + が + is falling (i.e. has been dropped).”
自動詞、Casual、が：
財布が落ちてる。
さいふ が おちてる。
There’s a wallet on the ground.
Literally: “wallet + が + is falling (i.e. has been dropped).”
他動詞、Formal、を：
スパゲッティを半分に折ってください。
スパゲッティ を はんぶん に おって ください。
Please break the spaghetti in half.
Literally: “spaghetti + を + half + に + break (and) + please.”
他動詞、Casual、No を：
スパゲッティ半分に折って。
スパゲッティ はんぶん に おって。
Break the spaghetti in half.
Literally: “spaghetti + half + に + break (and).”
自動詞、Formal、が：
骨が折れました。
ほね が おれました。
I broke a bone. // My bone broke.
Literally: “bone + が + broke.”
自動詞、Casual、No が：
骨折れた。
ほね おれた。
I broke a bone. // My bone broke.
Literally: “bone + broke.”
Don't worry if all of this still seems confusing.
You don't have to be a master of all of this transitive/intransitive verb and を／が particle stuff... yet...
For now, we just need to be aware of it.
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