N4 · Particles
に or で: which verbs take which
choosing between に and で
Some verbs place someone or something at a point and take に; others describe an activity and take で — and English gives no clue which.
The rule from N5 still holds: にis the place where something is or ends upでis the place where an activity happens What makes it hard is that English translations hide which kind of verb you have, so the choice has to be learned verb by verb until the pattern becomes second nature.
住む takes に: 東京に住んでいます — living somewhere is a way of being there. 働く takes で: 銀行で働いています — working is an activity. Yet 勤める, "to be employed at", takes に: 銀行に勤めています. English says "work at" for both.
Verbs that put something somewhere — 置く, 入れる, 書く on a surface, 座る, 止める — take に for where the thing ends up: 机の上に置いてください, ノートに名前を書く. The place where you do the putting is で, so one sentence can hold both.
The subtlest case is ある. A thing that exists takes に: 駅の前に銀行があります. An event — a meeting, a party, an accident — takes で, because an event happens: 駅の前で事故がありました. Even advanced learners slip here.
The form
| live: に | 大阪に住んでいます。 |
| work: で | 病院で働いています。 |
| be employed at: に | 銀行に勤めています。 |
| put: に for where it ends up | かばんを椅子の上に置きました。 |
| write: に for the surface | ここに名前を書いてください。 |
| an event: で | 体育館でコンサートがあります。 |
| a thing: に | 体育館にピアノがあります。 |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
住む, いる and ある with a thing take に; 働く, 勉強する and other activities take で.
姉はロンドンに住んで、大学で働いています。My older sister lives in London and works at a university.
Verbs of putting, writing on, sitting and parking take に for the place where the result ends up.
車は駐車場に止めてください。Please leave the car in the car park.
ある with an event — a meeting, a party, an accident — takes で, because an event happens.
明日、会議室で会議があります。There is a meeting in the meeting room tomorrow.
One sentence can take both: で for where the action is done, に for where its result lands.
受付で、この紙に名前を書いてください。Please write your name on this form at reception.
A closer look
One verb, two particles
Some verbs take either particle, and the meaning changes with it. 紙に書く is writing on the paper; 教室で書く is writing in the classroom. 駅に集まる is gathering at the station — ending up there; 駅で待つ is an activity that goes on there.
A practical test: ask "where is it, or where did it end up?" — that place takes に. Ask "where did it happen?" — that place takes で. A forgotten umbrella ends up on the train: 電車に傘を忘れました.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the verb is 泊まる, "to stay the night"
the place takes に: ホテルに泊まる.
京都では古い旅館に泊まりました。In Kyoto we stayed at an old inn.
Staying the night is treated as being somewhere, like 住む, not as something you do there.
How to spot it
- に住む
- で働く
- に勤める
- に置く
- に座る
- で〜がある
Example sentences
兄は横浜に住んでいます。My older brother lives in Yokohama.
父は市役所に勤めています。My father works at the town hall.
母は駅の近くのパン屋で働いています。My mother works at a bakery near the station.
鍵はいつもこの箱に入れています。I always keep my keys in this box.
窓のそばの席に座りましょう。Let's sit in the seats by the window.
昨日、家の近くで火事がありました。There was a fire near my house yesterday.
8 more example sentences
兄はアメリカの会社で働いています。My older brother works for an American company.
お皿をテーブルに並べてください。Please set the plates out on the table.
公園で祭りがありました。There was a festival in the park.
公園に大きな池があります。There is a big pond in the park.
子どもたちは庭で遊んでいます。The children are playing in the garden.
電車に傘を忘れました。I left my umbrella on the train.
駅前のホテルに泊まります。I am staying at the hotel by the station.
この紙に住所を書いてください。Please write your address on this sheet.
Worth knowing (1)
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Parking, hanging and sticking
The verbs of attaching — 止める (park), 掛ける (hang), 貼る (stick) — all take に for the place, because the thing stays there after the action is over. That remaining result is the clue: if something is left at a place, the place takes に.
壁にカレンダーを掛けました。I hung a calendar on the wall.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
"Live in" sounds like an activity to an English speaker, and activities take で. Japanese treats 住む as being somewhere — the same family as いる — so the place takes に. It is a mistake learners keep making long after they know the rule.
If the verb puts someone or something at a place, use に; if it describes doing something there, use で.
Your turn
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