N5 · Particles
へ for direction, と for and and with
the direction particle and the particle of company
へ points the way; と joins a complete list of nouns or names the person you do something with.
The particle へ — written with the kana へ, pronounced e — marks the direction of a movement: 東京へ行きます. With 行く, 来る and 帰る it can almost always be swapped for に; へ looks along the way, に at the point of arrival. In conversation に is the more frequent of the two, and へ has a slightly written feel — it is the particle on an envelope or a card: 母へ, "to Mum".
The particle と has two jobs. The first is "and" between nouns, and the list it makes is complete: パンと牛乳を買いました says that bread and milk were bought, and nothing else is suggested. For a list of examples Japanese uses や.
The second is "with, together with": 友達と映画を見ました. Verbs that need two people — talking, meeting, marrying, quarrelling — mark the other person with と: 兄と話しました, "I talked with my brother".
Two places where English leads people astray. "And" in English joins anything; と joins nouns and nothing else, so two adjectives or two actions need the te-form instead. And "with" a tool or a vehicle is で, not と: 友達と行きました is "I went with a friend", 車で行きました is "I went by car".
The form
| direction | 来週大阪へ行きます。 |
| on a card or envelope | 田中さんへ |
| a complete list | ペンとノートを買いました。 |
| together with | 友達と昼ご飯を食べました。 |
| the other person in a shared action | 先生と話しました。 |
| alone, by contrast | 一人で行きました。 |
The rules one by one
へ marks the direction of a movement and works with 行く, 来る and 帰る.
夏に国へ帰ります。I am going back to my country in the summer.
と joins nouns into a list that is complete.
朝はいつもパンとコーヒーです。For breakfast I always have bread and coffee.
As "and", と joins nouns only — never adjectives, verbs or sentences.
この部屋は広くて明るいです。This room is large and bright.
と after a person means "with" or "together with".
家族と旅行しました。I went on a trip with my family.
Verbs that take two people — talk, meet, marry, quarrel — mark the other one with と.
姉は大学の友達と結婚しました。My older sister married a friend from university.
A closer look
Where only へ will do
With verbs of movement へ and に mostly overlap, but before の only へ is possible. "A letter to my mother" is 母への手紙; に cannot stand directly before の, so the particle that names the direction takes over.
と behaves the same way: "a promise with a friend" is 友達との約束, and "the meeting with the client" is お客さんとの打ち合わせ. Particle plus の is how Japanese turns a relation into a description of a noun.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
-
"with" means a tool or a vehicle
it is で, not と.
友達と車で行きました。I went by car with a friend.
と is company — someone alongside you; で is the means you use.
How to spot it
- へ
- と
- 〜と〜
- 〜と一緒に
- 〜さんへ
- への
Example sentences
右へ曲がってください。Please turn right.
毎年、夏に海へ行きます。Every year I go to the seaside in summer.
机の上に本とペンがあります。There are a book and a pen on the desk.
妹と一緒に料理を作りました。I cooked together with my younger sister.
昨日、駅で山田さんと会いました。Yesterday I met Ms Yamada at the station.
日本語と英語が話せます。I can speak Japanese and English.
7 more example sentences
来年、日本へ留学します。Next year I am going to Japan to study.
東へ三キロ歩きました。I walked three kilometres east.
父と母は仕事に行きました。My father and mother have gone to work.
家に犬と猫がいます。We have a dog and a cat at home.
誰と行きますか。Who are you going with?
彼女と電話で話しました。I spoke to her on the phone.
祖母への手紙を書いています。I am writing a letter to my grandmother.
Worth knowing (1)
-
と一緒に: together with
Where it matters that the other person really took part, と is extended to と一緒に, "together with". Plain と is enough in most sentences; the longer form removes any doubt and is common when talking about doing something jointly.
子どもと一緒に公園へ行きました。I went to the park together with my child.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English "and" joins anything. と joins nouns and nothing else; placed after an adjective or a verb it turns into a different word, the conditional "when, if". Two adjectives are linked with the te-form — 広くて — and two actions likewise: 起きて、顔を洗います.
へ points the way; と joins nouns into a full list or brings someone along.
Your turn
9 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.