Apologies if im wrong, but i believe は and が are the same, whilst を would be referring to an action.
を would make grammar purists go riot, but generally it’s fine
が correct
は for contrast
話せる is intransitive, why 日本語を話せます is correct?
So people keep saying を is “technically incorrect but…” and it’s such a common talking point it gets brought up in every single thread like this one.
を is not incorrect. It’s not ungrammatical “but…”. It’s not wrong. Teachers or grammar “purists” won’t scold you for using it. I don’t know why this is said so many times, it’s just not true.
It’s been probably a hundred years (or more) now, を + potential **is** a thing. It’s grammatical. It’s part of the grammar and part of how the language works. We can stop perpetrating this myth of “it’s ungrammatical but…”.
Same thing for を + たい, を + 好き, etc.
ToKiniAndy once explained は vs が as where it’s putting the emphasis.
* 日本語が話せます puts emphasis on the left (日本語) * 本語は話せます puts emphasis on the right (話せます)
Emphasis can completely change meaning
* today YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL (compliment) * TODAY you look beautiful (backhanded compliment)
5 comments
Apologies if im wrong, but i believe は and が are the same, whilst を would be referring to an action.
を would make grammar purists go riot, but generally it’s fine
が correct
は for contrast
話せる is intransitive, why 日本語を話せます is correct?
So people keep saying を is “technically incorrect but…” and it’s such a common talking point it gets brought up in every single thread like this one.
を is not incorrect. It’s not ungrammatical “but…”. It’s not wrong. Teachers or grammar “purists” won’t scold you for using it. I don’t know why this is said so many times, it’s just not true.
If anything [を話せる](https://massif.la/ja/search?q=%22%E3%82%92%E8%A9%B1%E3%81%9B%E3%82%8B%22) is [more common than が話せる](https://massif.la/ja/search?q=%22%E3%81%8C%E8%A9%B1%E3%81%9B%E3%82%8B%22) in many contexts (note that in the second link most が results are pointing to the subject like 私が話せる).
It’s been probably a hundred years (or more) now, を + potential **is** a thing. It’s grammatical. It’s part of the grammar and part of how the language works. We can stop perpetrating this myth of “it’s ungrammatical but…”.
Same thing for を + たい, を + 好き, etc.
ToKiniAndy once explained は vs が as where it’s putting the emphasis.
* 日本語が話せます puts emphasis on the left (日本語)
* 本語は話せます puts emphasis on the right (話せます)
Emphasis can completely change meaning
* today YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL (compliment)
* TODAY you look beautiful (backhanded compliment)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytjRoTwWnzw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytjRoTwWnzw)