I thought the character "を" (wo) was only used for the particle whose only job was to indicate the direct object of a verb.
But today I saw it at the end of an exclamation on a sign I think on a shop:
西部に活力を!!
So what job is を doing here?
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Very common: 素晴らしい一年を！ – Nicolas Raoul Jun 16 '11 at 04:03
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@Nicolas: A set phrase at the end of year is 良いお年を (よいおとしを), which can also be said as 良いお年をお迎えください (よいおとしをおむかえください) (I wish you a happy new year). – Tsuyoshi Ito Jun 16 '11 at 12:42
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Two very common set phrases which end with particles: こんにちは and こんばんは – Garrett Albright Jun 17 '11 at 08:29
2 Answers
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It's still the object marker. The sentence is just not finished and the verb is implied.
(there was a question mentioning suspended sentences but I cannot find it for the moment)
Anyway it's often used:
フォースと共{とも}にあらんことを
May the force be with you!
Additionally it gives some kind of propaganda feeling to the sentence.
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Wow is there any part of a Japanese sentence you can't leave out? (-: – hippietrail Jun 15 '11 at 14:39
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4It's like Japanese color-by-numbers: the outline is there, but you have to pick your own verb to finish the picture. – Derek Schaab Jun 15 '11 at 14:47
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9Sentences ending with just を are very often interpreted in the meaning of wishing something to someone else, and I don't think anybody tries to fill in the verb for that, so perhaps you can say this specific を is quite stand-alone. – Boaz Yaniv Jun 15 '11 at 17:26
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1Wow, cool, but could please explain, from which verb the あらんこと part comes from, or what would be full form? (I can't find a translation of that part anywhere). Thanks! – Quit007 Aug 13 '18 at 16:52
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It's just an ellipsis of the verb. It happens too with other particles, for example, you have "復興へ！" (towards reconstruction!) here and there in the Tohoku area.
I think that it is mostly used in an incentive context, to express "let's all…"
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Would that apply in a case like this since を is between two nouns? 今も憶えているのあなた旅立つ日に見た夢を涙つたうあなたの頬 手を伸ばすと 闇の中消えた. Source: link – A.T.A. Jan 22 '23 at 02:52
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It's not the end of the sentence, but a swap of propositions. "The dream you saw, do you remember it?" – Axioplase Feb 03 '23 at 16:04