Particle Course

Teacher

Marshall

Lesson 4: に

In this lesson, I will teach you how to use particle に.
The Particle に has eleven functions. (If you don’t want to learn them all at once, you can learn the Function 1 and Function 2 first, and go back to learn other functions later.)

Function 1: The Place Where Something Exists

If you want to express something/someone exists in somewhere, you should use に.

Topic（Thing） + は + Place + に + あります
Topic（Person） + は + Place + に + います

Example Sentences:

私わたしは公園こうえんにいます。
I’m in the park.

本ほんは机つくえの上うえにあります。
The book is on the desk.

ぺんはポケットの中なかにあります。
The pen is in the pocket.

彼かれは学校がっこうにいます。
He is in the school.

彼女かのじょはどこにいますか。
Where is she?

カギはどこにありますか。
Where is the key?

Function 2: Time Marker

If you want to express the time when something happens, you can use something below.

Topic + は + Time + に + Verb

Example Sentences:

私わたしは三時さんじに出でかけます。
I will go out at 3 o’clock.

彼かれは八はち時じに起おきました。
He got up at 8 o’clock.

仕し事ごとは木曜もくよう日びに始はじまります。
The work will start on Thursday.

彼女かのじょは金曜きんよう日びに戻もどります。
She will be back on Friday.

彼かれらは三月さんがつに卒そつ業ぎょうします。
They will graduate in March.

Function 3: The Receiver of Things or Information

If you want to express someone gives others something or some information, you can use the pattern below.

Receiver + に + Noun + を + Verb

Example Sentences:

田た中なかさんに英えい語ごを教おしえます。
I will teach Mr.Tanaka English.

山やま田ださんに本ほんをあげます。
I will give Mr.Yamada the book.

彼かれにプレゼントを贈おくりました。
I gave him the present.

彼女かのじょに写真しゃしんを送おくりました。
I sent her the photos.

Function 4: Point of Destination While Moving Something

If you want to express that you move something to somewhere, you can use something below.

Place + に + Things + を + Verb

Example Sentences:

壁かべに写真しゃしんを貼はりました。
I sticked a photo on the wall.

ゴミ箱ばこにゴミを捨すてました。
I threw the garbage in the trash.

机つくえに本ほんを置おきます。
I put the book on the desk.

Function 5: Object of Action

If you want to express “do something with somebody” or “do something to somebody”, you can use something below.

Person + に + Verb

Example Sentences:

犬いぬが山やま田ださんにほえました。
The dog barked at Mr. Yamada.

先生せんせいに相談そうだんします。
I will talk with the teacher.

彼かれに真相しんそうを話はなします。
I will tell him the truth.

Function 6: Place of Arrival

If you want to express the place of arrival, you can use something like below.

Topic + は + Place + に + Verb

Example Sentences:

私わたしは病びょう院いんに行いきました。
I went to the hospital.

彼かれは椅子いすに座すわりました。
He sat on the Chair.

彼女かのじょは駅えきに着つきました。
She arrived at the station.

彼かれらは映えい画が館かんに行いきます。
They will go to the theater.

私わたしたちは郵便ゆうびん局きょくに行きます。
We will go to the post office.

Function 7: The Result of Change

If you want to express the result of change, you can use something like below.

Noun + に + なります

Example Sentences:

子供こどもが大人おとなになりました。
The children became grow-ups.

氷こおりが水みずになりました。
The ice became the water.

彼かれは俳優はいゆうになりました。
He became an actor.

私わたしは先生せんせいになりたいです。
I want to be a teacher.

私わたしたちはサラリーマンになりました。
We became office workers.

Function 8: The Agent in Causative Form and Passive Form

If you want to use Causative Form of Verb or Passive Form of Verb, you can use に to mark the agent.

Agent + に + Noun + を + Causative Form of Verb

Agent + に + Passive Form of Verb

Example Sentences:

山やま田ださんに本ほんを読よませます。
I will let Yamada read the book.

田た中なかさんに本ほんを見みせます。
I will show the book to Tanaka.

先生せんせいに褒ほめられました。
I was praised by the teacher.

お母かあさんに見みつかりました。
I was found by mom.

Function 9: Comparison Criterion

If you want to compare something, you can use something like below.

Topic + は + Comparison Criterion + に + Verb

Example Sentences:

山やま田ださんはお父とおさんに似にています。
Yamada looks like his father.

私わたしは彼かれに劣おとります。
I’m not as good as he is.

Function 10: The Goal of Action

If you want to express you goal of doing something, you can use something like below.

Goal + に + Verb

Example Sentences:

私わたしたちは映えい画がを見みに行いきました。
We went to the movies.

晩ばんご飯はんを食たべに行いく.
I will go to eat dinner.

彼かれは買かい物ものに行いきました。
He went to shopping.

シャツを買かいに行いきます。
I’m going to buy a shirt.

Function 11: The Reason of Action

If you want to express the reason of action, you can use something like below.

Reason + に + Action

Example Sentences:

彼かれは仕事しごとの成功せいこうに自信じしんを付つけた。
He became confident because of his successful career.

人ひとの多おおさにびっくりしました。
I was surprised at the large number of people.

Notes:

①Both と and に has the function of telling us the result of change，but に is often used in spoken Japanese and と is often used in written Japanese.

②Both へ and に has the function of telling us the destination of action，but it sounds more natural to use へ.

③Both へ and に has the function of telling us the object of action，but へ emphasizes the process of action，while に emphasizes the result of action.
For example,
東とう京きょうへ行いきます。（The listener won’t know the destination, maybe it’s Tokyo, maybe not, only thing the listener knows is that Tokyo is one of the processes)
東とう京きょうに行いきます。（The listener will know that Tokyo is the result, is the destination.）

④に is the place something exists，or the place you arrive at，BUT，で is the place where the action happens（you take some actions here），DO NOT confuse them.（に is a point but で is a scope.）

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Quiz（Choose the Function : 1 ~ 5）

Quiz（Choose the Function: 6 ~ 11）

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