teepu de hako o shimeta.

I closed the box with tape.

Breakdown of teepu de hako o shimeta.

• を: direct object particle
• で: means particle
• 閉しめる: to close
• 箱はこ: box

Questions & Answers about teepu de hako o shimeta.

What does で mean in this sentence?

Here, で marks the means or tool used to do something.

So テープで means with tape or using tape.

In this sentence, it tells you how the box was closed:

• テープで = using tape
• 箱を閉めた = closed the box

This is a very common use of で:

• はしで食べる = eat with chopsticks
• ペンで書く = write with a pen

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Why is it 箱を閉めた and not 箱が閉めた?

Because 箱 is the direct object of the verb 閉めた.

The particle を marks the thing that the action is done to:

• 箱を閉めた = closed the box

If you used が, it would not fit the sentence in the same way. が usually marks the subject, the thing doing or being the action.

So in this sentence:

• the box is the thing being closed
• therefore it takes を

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Where is the subject? Who closed the box?