JLPT N5 · Particles
へ (e)
へ (e) — direction
In short · へ marks the direction of movement — toward a place. It overlaps with に for destinations. Written へ but read e.
Pattern
-
〈place〉へ いきます。go toward a place
What it does
へ points to the direction you move in: がっこうへ いきます (go to school). It stresses the direction more than the exact arrival point.
へ vs に
For destinations, へ and に are interchangeable: がっこうへ / がっこうに いきます. But に also marks a time or where something exists; へ is only for direction.
How to read it
As a particle, へ is read e, not he. にほんへ is "Nihon e".
Examples
-
うちへ かえります。
Uchi e kaerimasu.
I go home.
-
がっこうへ いきます。
Gakkō e ikimasu.
I go to school.
-
ひだりへ まがって ください。
Hidari e magatte kudasai.
Please turn left.
A direction (left) takes へ.
Common mistakes
- As a particle, read へ as "e", never "he".
- へ is only for direction. For a time or for existence, use に instead.
More grammar points
- は は (wa) — the topic particle
- を を (o) — the object particle
- に に (ni) — time, destination, location
- で で (de) — place of action & means
- と と (to) — and / together with
- の の (no) — possessive & noun linker
- も も (mo) — also / too
- か か (ka) — the question marker
- から から・まで — from … to …
- より より (yori) — than (comparison)
- だけ ～だけ — “only ～”
- で ～で — place, means and cause
- が ～が — marks the subject
- か か — the question particle
- まで ～まで — “until / up to ～”
- も ～も — “also / too”
- なあ ～なあ — sentence-final feeling
- ね ～ね — “..., right? / isn’t it?”
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