Use of the particle を/に indicating target of an action - animate vs inanimate?

Question

Currently learning Japanese from Rosetta stone, and so far, whenever a verb is acting on something, I've always seen the particle を used - eg:

彼{かれ}は本{ほん}を読{よ}んでいます。

Now the program has thrown に into the mix - eg:

彼{かれ}は奥{おく}さんにキスしています。

So my question: is the particle を only for inanimate objects? In the sentence above, could I use を after 奥{おく}さん since she's the direct object of the action, or is に the only answer because the direct object is an animate being? Would I ever use に in the other sentence, like 彼{かれ}は本{ほん}に読{よ}んでいます?

Or is this just one of those "That's just the way it is, just roll with it" kind of quirks with the language?

Answer 1

It is not the animacy of the object that determines the particle choice: It is the transitivity of the verb that does.

「ほんをよむ」(to read a book):

「よむ」 in this phrase is a transitive verb; therefore, 「を」 is used.

「おとこをなぐる」(to smack a dude):

「を」 is used for the same reason as above. That 「おとこ」 is animate has nothng to do with it.

「おくさんにキスする」(to kiss one's wife):

「キスする」 is an intransitive verb; therefoe, 「に」 is used.

「しゃしんにキスする」(to kiss a photo):

「しゃしん」 is inanimate, but the particle to be used is still 「に」.

What I have said above would hold true well over 95% of the time. There are exceptions, however, regarding the correct use of 「を」 with intransitive verbs. In order not to confuse OP, who is clearly a beginner, I will not discuss the matter in detail.

For anyone intermediate or above, I am naturally referring to phrases such as 「空{そら}を飛{と}ぶ」,「森{もり}を走{はし}る」, etc., which are correct.