JLPT N5 · Particles
に (ni)
に (ni) — time, destination, location
In short · に points to a specific time, a destination you move to, or the place where something exists.
Pattern
-
〈time〉に V。do V at a specific time -
〈place〉に いきます。go to a place -
〈place〉に あります／います。something exists at a place
Time
Use に with clock times, dates and days of the week: 7じに (at 7), げつようびに (on Monday). Don't use に with relative times such as きょう or あした.
Destination
に marks where you go, and here it is interchangeable with へ: がっこうに いきます / がっこうへ いきます (go to school).
Where something exists
With あります (things) and います (people/animals), に marks the location: つくえの うえに ほんが あります (there is a book on the desk).
Examples
-
8じに おきます。
Hachi-ji ni okimasu.
I get up at eight.
A clock time takes に.
-
とうきょうに いきます。
Tōkyō ni ikimasu.
I go to Tokyo.
-
へやに ねこが います。
Heya ni neko ga imasu.
There is a cat in the room.
に = where it exists; が marks what exists.
Common mistakes
- Don't add に to relative time words: say きょう いきます, not ×きょうに いきます.
- For where an action happens (not existence), use で, not に: としょかんで べんきょうします.
More grammar points
- は は (wa) — the topic particle
- を を (o) — the object particle
- で で (de) — place of action & means
- と と (to) — and / together with
- の の (no) — possessive & noun linker
- へ へ (e) — direction
- 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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