N5 · Particles
に: a point in time, a goal, a place of being
the target particle
に points at a target: a moment, a destination, the place where something is, or the person who receives.
The particle に fixes something to a point. At N5 it has four uses, and they share that one picture. The first is time: a point on the clock or the calendar takes に — 三時に, 月曜日に, 五月に.
The second is a destination. With 行く, 来る and 帰る, に marks where the movement ends: 学校に行きます. The same goes for arriving — 駅に着きました — and for getting into or onto something: バスに乗ります.
The third is the place where something or someone simply is, with ある, いる and 住む: 部屋にテレビがあります. The place where something happens takes で instead — the most common choice learners get wrong, because English says "in" for both. The fourth is the person who receives: 友達にプレゼントをあげます, "to a friend".
Where English speakers add a に that is not wanted is with time words measured from today. 今日, 明日, 毎日, 来週 and 去年 stand on their own: English "on Monday" and "tomorrow" look alike, but in Japanese only the first is a fixed point.
The form
| clock time | 七時に起きます。 |
| day of the week | 土曜日に映画を見ます。 |
| destination | 来年日本に行きます。 |
| arrival point | 十時に駅に着きました。 |
| where something is | 机の上に鍵があります。 |
| the person who receives | 母に花をあげました。 |
The rules one by one
Clock times, dates and days of the week take に.
月曜日に会議があります。There is a meeting on Monday.
Time words measured from now — today, tomorrow, every day, next week — take no に.
明日東京に行きます。I am going to Tokyo tomorrow.
With verbs of going, coming and arriving, に marks where the movement ends.
何時に家に帰りますか。What time are you going home?
With ある, いる and 住む, に marks where someone or something is.
姉は大阪に住んでいます。My older sister lives in Osaka.
The person who receives something takes に.
先生にメールを送りました。I sent my teacher an email.
A closer look
One particle, one picture
The four uses look unrelated in English — "at", "to", "in", "to" again — but in Japanese they are one idea: something lands on a point. A present lands on the person who gets it, a journey lands at its goal, an event lands on the clock, and a thing that exists is pinned to the place where it is.
That is also why に and へ overlap with verbs of movement. へ looks at the direction, に at the point of arrival; with 行く both are fine, but with 着く, which is nothing but arriving, に is the natural choice.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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the time word is a day of the week, a season or a part of the day
に is often optional: 日曜日 and 日曜日に both work, and with 朝 and 夜 it is often left out.
夜、友達に電話しました。I phoned a friend in the evening.
These words sit between the fixed and the relative: they name a point, but one that comes round again and again.
How to spot it
- に
- 〜時に
- に行く
- にある
- にいる
- にあげる
Example sentences
毎朝六時に起きます。I get up at six every morning.
夏休みに北海道に行きました。In the summer holidays I went to Hokkaido.
猫はソファの上にいます。The cat is on the sofa.
弟に本を貸しました。I lent my younger brother a book.
東京駅に何時に着きますか。What time do we arrive at Tokyo Station?
この近くに銀行はありますか。Is there a bank near here?
8 more example sentences
授業は九時に始まります。The class starts at nine.
来月、国に帰ります。I am going back to my home country next month.
冷蔵庫に牛乳があります。There is milk in the fridge.
子どもたちは庭にいます。The children are in the garden.
友達に誕生日のプレゼントをあげました。I gave a friend a birthday present.
三月に大学を卒業します。I graduate from university in March.
毎晩十一時に寝ます。I go to bed at eleven every night.
駅の前でバスに乗りました。I got on the bus in front of the station.
Worth knowing (1)
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Getting on and going in
Getting on, getting into and entering are thought of as arriving at a point, so they take に: バスに乗る, 部屋に入る, お風呂に入る. Their opposites — getting off, going out — take を, which is why バスに乗る and バスを降りる sit side by side.
会議室に入ってください。Please go into the meeting room.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English says "on Monday" and "tomorrow" in the same position, so the に goes on both. But 明日, 今日, 毎週 and 来年 are measured from today and take no particle; a time fixed on the clock or the calendar — 三時, 五月, 日曜日 — takes に.
に is a pin: it fixes a time, a goal, a place of being or a receiver.
Your turn
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