-을/를

을/를 sits right after a noun to show it is the thing the action is done to, the direct object.

조사Particles

Han: 만나다 takes a direct object, so the person you meet is marked with 을/를, not 에.

Examples

저는 아침에 빵을 먹어요.I eat bread in the morning.

요즘 한국어를 공부해요.These days I am studying Korean.

동생이 커피를 마셔요.My younger sibling is drinking coffee.

주말에 친구를 만났어요.I met a friend on the weekend.

-을/를vs이/가이/가 marks who does the action or what is described; 을/를 marks what receives it: 고양이가 물을 마셔요.

-을/를vs은/는은/는 can replace 을/를 to show contrast or topic: 커피는 마셔요, 차는 안 마셔요.

-을/를vs에에 marks a place or destination, not an object: 학교에 가요, but 학교를 좋아해요.

N (final consonant)+을

N (final vowel)+를

밥 → 밥을 먹어요, 커피 → 커피를 마셔요

Choose by the last sound of the noun: 을 after a consonant (책을), 를 after a vowel (사과를).
Use it only with verbs that take an object (먹다, 보다, 만나다, 좋아하다). Adjectives (좋다, 필요하다) and 있다 take 이/가 instead.
만나다 takes 을/를 for the person you meet: 친구를 만나요, not 친구에 만나요.
In casual speech it is often dropped or shortened (뭐를 → 뭘, 나를 → 날), but keep it in writing and on TOPIK.

Wrong: ~~친구에 만나요.~~

Right: 친구를 만나요.

만나다 takes a direct object, so the person you meet is marked with 을/를, not 에.

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