It's known that _roughly_ , in most cases, we can think of using "wo" vs "ga"
this way:

> ga is used when action is abstract, mental, non-physical
>
> otherwise, wo is used

Yet, these examples are in contradiction with that rule:

> Something ga taberarenai.
>
> Someone wo shitte iru.

Why is that? Are there any exceptions?

There are other examples as well I can remember for now.
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2017-08-09T05:52:17.857
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2017-08-09T21:45:55.667
2020-06-17T08:18:27.500
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grammar particle-が particle-を
Difference between "ga" vs "wo"
As for your first example, potential forms of transitive verbs can take が
instead of を. 食べられない (taberarenai) is the negative potential form of 食べる
(taberu, "to eat"). が is used because no physical action has been taken yet
when you say "can".

  * [Potential Form](http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/grammar/potential)

> The potential form indicates that something is possible but no actual action
> is actually taken. While the potential form is still a verb, because it is
> describing the state of feasibility, in general, you don't want to use the
> direct object 「を」 as you would with the non-potential form of the verb.

  * [The difference between が and を with the potential form of a verb.](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/609/5010)
  * [Why say "〜、皆には出来る。" instead of " 〜、皆は出来る。" in this context?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/36481/5010)

> One key to understanding how できる happens grammatically is that できる is often
> describing the thing that can be done, instead of the people or things doing
> the thing. Sometimes a closer gloss is _doable_ rather than _can_

As for your second example, yes, 知る (shiru, "to learn; to get to know") is a
transitive verb (a verb that takes を). 分かる (wakaru, "to understand") is a
similar word but does not usually take を. I think this is something you have
to remember and get used to.

  * [How should I choose between [知]{し}る and わかる?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/1659/5010)
  * [知る vs わかる and when to use が and を in "how to" questions](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/14873/5010)
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2017-08-09T06:33:04.133
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2017-08-09T06:33:04.133
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answer