にはin order to; what it takes to
You name a goal and say what it takes: what you need, what you must do, the best way. It is also how you ask the way or ask how.
How do I get to the station?
To pass the exam, you have to study with a plan.
How to form it
Verb in the dictionary form + には
Only the dictionary form. After a noun, には is something else, the everyday に with は added: 私には難しい, "it's hard for me"; 東京には行かない, "I'm not going to Tokyo".
The longer form
Dictionary form／ない-form + ためには ／ Noun + の + ためには
The same meaning, and the one for a negative or a noun: 忘れないためには, 健康のためには.
- After it
- What it takes or how it is done: 必要だ, なければならない, 〜ばいい, 時間がかかる. Or a question: どうしたらいいですか.
- Where you'll meet it
- Asking the way, advice, manuals, and headings on help pages: パスワードを変えるには.
In use
What should I prepare in order to work abroad?
To use this machine safely, you need to read the manual carefully.
It takes about an hour by bus to get from here to the airport.
には or ために?
English "to" covers both. ために usually leads to what someone does to reach the goal. には leads to what the goal takes: a need, a must, a method. It doesn't lead to a report of what someone is doing.
I run every morning to lose weight.
What I do for it.
To lose weight, you need exercise.
What it takes.
Not said: やせるには、
(I run every morning to lose weight.)
What I am doing: ために.
Too early to, too far to
A judgment can also follow: how early, how far or how big something is for doing that. English usually says "too … to".
It's still too early to go to bed.
It's too far to walk to the station.
Close neighbours
のにN4
What a thing is handy for, needed for or used for. For a need or a length of time both are said: のに just states it, and には starts from the goal, as advice does.
It takes twenty minutes to walk to the station.
に with は added: the noun is what you are talking about, or is set against another.
I can meet on Sunday, but not on Saturday.
Check yourself
1Which one fits?
日本の
Choose an answer to see why.
2In which sentence does には name a goal?
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
Which way should I take to get to the station fastest?
To improve your Japanese, it is important to use it every day.
To earn trust, it is important to keep your promises.
For your health, it's important to get enough sleep and a moderate amount of exercise.
To avoid getting nervous, it's a good idea to get plenty of practice beforehand.