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Do I say えいがにみました or えいがをみました？

Eddie Kal
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anna
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1 Answers1

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With this class of perception verbs, the thing you are perceiving is the direct object. We mark it as a direct object using the accusative case particle を:

映画【えいが】を見ました【みました】

Other verbs in this class include 聞く【きく】 'hear' and 嗅ぐ【かぐ】 'smell'.

We would make it a direct object in English, too, by the way:

I saw a movie.

Except that in English, we mark the direct object by its position in the sentence. In Japanese, you use the accusative case particle を instead.

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    Though 映画に見ました is valid for 'I saw it in a movie'. – Sjiveru Oct 19 '14 at 03:39
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    Isn't で used for that? (映画で見た)? – Flaw Oct 19 '14 at 03:49
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    (Flaw created [a question for に見る vs で見る](http://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/19161/%E3%81%AB-vs-%E3%81%A7-%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB%E3%81%AB%E8%A6%8B%E3%82%8B-vs-%E6%98%A0%E7%94%BB%E3%81%A7%E8%A6%8B%E3%82%8B)) – Darius Jahandarie Oct 19 '14 at 23:21