にin, at, to; from; per
に pins something to a point: the place where it is or ends up, the moment it happens, the person on the other end.
when, and where it ends up
The train arrived in Osaka at nine.
who it goes to
I lent my younger sister a dictionary.
How to form it
place / time / person + に
To ask: どこに (where), 何時に (at what time), だれに (who to, or who from).
Which に is it?
The word before に and the verb after tell you.
| Before に | Verb after | に means |
|---|---|---|
| a place | ある, いる, 住む | in, at, on: where it is |
| a place | 行く, 来る, 着く, 入る, 乗る | to, into, onto: where you end up |
| a place | 置く, 入れる, 貼る, 書く | on, in: where you put it |
| a person | あげる, 貸す, 見せる, 書く | to: who it goes to |
| a person | もらう, 借りる, 習う | from: who it comes from |
| a person | 会う, 電話する, 聞く | no word in English: who you meet, call or ask |
| a clock time or a date | any verb | at, on, in: when |
| a period, then a count: 週に三回, 一日に二時間 | any verb | a, per: how often |
| a verb without ます: 見, 買い | 行く, 来る | to do it: what you go for |
Where something is
There is milk in the refrigerator.
Yamada is in the library.
The post office is next to the station.
に only marks the spot. "Next to", "on" and "inside" come from a position word before it: 駅の隣に, 机の上に, かばんの中に.
Where are the scissors?
They are in the drawer.
Just as often people ask はさみはどこですか.
A few verbs are about being settled somewhere and take に too: 住む (live), 勤める (work for), 泊まる (stay the night). 座る (sit down) takes に for the spot you end up in.
On my trip, I stayed at a hotel called Umikaze.
You may sit here.
Where something ends up
With a verb of going somewhere, に is where you arrive. With a verb of putting, it is where the thing lands.
I am going to Kyoto tomorrow.
I will return to Japan next month.
Not said: 駅に
(I walked to the station.)
歩く, 走る and 泳ぐ say how you move, not where you go. It is 駅まで歩きました or 駅に歩いて行きました (went on foot).
I put the book on the desk.
Please put the documents in the drawer.
Please write your name here.
Writing counts as putting: the name lands on the line.
に or へ?
I am going to Sendai this afternoon.
Where you will end up.
I am heading to Sendai this afternoon.
The direction you set off in.
With 行く, 来る and 帰る both are right and the difference is slight. に is the one you will hear more in conversation.
に or で for a place?
に is the spot where something is or ends up. で is the place where something is done or takes place.
My older brother works in Tokyo.
Where he does something.
English says "in Tokyo" both times.
Not said: 図書館に
(I study at the library.)
図書館で勉強します.
I went to school and played basketball in the gym.
に for where you went, で for where you played.
A festival, a test or a concert is something that happens, so its place takes で even when the verb is ある.
There is a festival in the park.
Who it goes to
The person you give to, lend to, send to, show, teach or tell takes に: あげる, 貸す, 返す, 送る, 書く, 見せる, 教える, 言う.
I wrote a letter to my father.
I returned the umbrella to my older sister.
I showed the classroom to the new student.
I told my friend my phone number.
Who it comes from
With a verb of receiving, such as もらう (get), 借りる (borrow) or 習う (learn), the person with に is the one it comes from. The verb tells you which way the thing travels.
I lent a book to a friend.
The book went to the friend.
I borrowed a book from a friend.
The book came from the friend.
I received a birthday card from a friend.
から can replace this に: 友達から借りました. From a bank, a company or a school it is usually から.
I borrowed money from the bank.
Where English has no "to"
English has no "to" in "meet a friend", "call the office", "take the train" or "enter the room". Japanese still needs に, and を is the mistake to watch for.
会うmeet
I will meet my friend at the station tomorrow.
乗るget on, take
I will board the express train at the next station.
入るgo into, enter
The children entered the classroom.
Not said: 昨日、
(I met a friend yesterday.)
友達に会いました.
When
A time you can read off a clock or point to on a calendar takes に. A time that only makes sense counted from today, like "tomorrow" or "next week", takes nothing. Neither do the 毎 words or いつ.
| Time words | |
|---|---|
| に | clock times, dates, months, years: 九時に, 五月三日に, 四月に |
| no に | 今, 今日, 明日, 昨日, 来週, 去年, 毎日, 毎朝, 毎週, いつ |
| either | days of the week, 週末, 朝, 夜 |
The meeting starts at 10 a.m.
I will go to Kyoto on May 3.
I'm leaving at nine tomorrow.
明日 stands bare. The clock time takes に.
Not said: 明日に
(I am going to watch a film tomorrow.)
明日、映画を見ます.
A length of time takes nothing either: 三時間勉強しました, "I studied for three hours".
How often
The period comes first with に, then how many times or how long.
I go to the library three times a week.
I study Japanese for two hours a day.
I call my grandmother once a month.
The second に is the person you call.
How many times a week do you go to the gym?
Close neighbours
までにN4
A deadline. 五時に is at five; 五時までに is any time up to five.
Please submit the application by Friday.
になるN5
Before なる, に marks what someone or something turns into.
My older sister became a doctor last year.
〜を出る・降りるN5
Leaving and getting off take を: the mirror of 入る and 乗る.
I will get off the train at the next station.
Check yourself
1Which particle?
姉は
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which sentence sounds natural?
Choose an answer to see why.
3What does this mean?
田中さんに
Choose an answer to see why.
More detail
に or と: 会う, 話す
I met Ms. Tanaka at the station.
You went to see her, or ran into her.
I met with Ms. Tanaka at the station.
The two of you met up.
には and にも
は and も can follow に.
There are no students in the classroom.
I went to Kyoto. I also went to Nara.
週三回
In conversation the に after 週 often drops: 週三回.
More sentences
My younger sister is in the kitchen now.
I put a photograph on the wall.
I asked the teacher a question.
Who did you write the email to?
What time does the movie start?
I had a meal with my family on my birthday.
I cleaned my room on Sunday.
I have a dental checkup twice a year.
This bus comes three times an hour.