In linguistic typology, the object–subject–verb (OSV) or object–agent–verb (OAV) word order is a structure where the object of a sentence precedes both the subject and the verb.
In many other languages, OSV can be used in marked sentences to convey emphasis or focus, often as a stylistic device rather than a normative structure.
Examples of OSV structures can also be found in certain contexts within English, Hebrew, and other languages through the use of syntactic inversion for emphasis or rhetorical effect.
Most languages that use OSV as their default word order come from the Amazon basin, such as Xavante, Jamamadi, Apurinã, Warao, Kayabí and Nadëb.
Passive constructions in Chinese follow an OSV (OAV) pattern through the use of the particle 被: 这个Zhègethis苹果píngguǒapple被bèiby我wǒme吃chīeat掉diào 了lePFV这个 苹果 被 我 吃 掉 了Zhège píngguǒ bèi wǒ chī diào lethis apple by me eat {} PFVThis apple was eaten by me.In English, object-subject-verb order is atypical but can be used for contrastive focus, as in: That car we bought at least five years ago.
Here is an example in Korean: 그geuthat 사과–는sagwa-neunapple-TOPObject제–가je-gaI.POL-NOMSubject먹–었–어–요meog-eoss-eo-yoeat-PST-DEC-POLVerb그 사과–는 제–가 먹–었–어–요geu sagwa-neun je-ga meog-eoss-eo-yothat apple-TOP I.POL-NOM eat-PST-DEC-POL{} Object Subject VerbAs for the apple, I ate it.