にRecipient or person addressed
This particle marks the person or group who receives something or toward whom an action is directed. It commonly appears with actions such as lending, showing, teaching, asking, writing, telephoning, and meeting.
Who receives the action?
Place に after the person or group receiving something or being directly addressed by the action. The verb determines whether this pattern is available, so learn the particle together with common verbs.
A recipient and a thing
私は妹に辞書を貸しました。
I lent my younger sister a dictionary.
Analyze妹に marks the recipient, while 辞書を marks the thing lent.
People addressed by an action
The same pattern marks the person you ask, teach, tell, write to, or telephone.
Meeting someone
With 会う, に presents the other person as the person encountered. と presents that person as the meeting partner. Both can be natural, but this limited contrast should not be treated as a rule for every social verb.
More examples
父に手紙を書きました。
I wrote a letter to my father.
Analyze姉に傘を返しました。
I returned the umbrella to my older sister.
Analyze新しい学生に教室を見せました。
I showed the classroom to the new student.
Analyze受付の人に質問してください。
Please ask the receptionist.
Analyze会社に電話しました。
I called the company.
Analyze明日、駅で友達に会います。
I will meet my friend at the station tomorrow.
Analyze