Particle Course

Teacher

Marshall

Lesson 5: へ

In this lesson, I will teach you how to use the particle へ.
The particle へ has two functions.

Function 1: The Destination or Direction of Moving

If you want to express the destination or direction of moving, you can use something like below.

Destination or Direction + へ + Verb

Example Sentences:

私わたしは国くにへ帰かえった。
I was back to the motherland.

飛ひ行こう機きが南みなみへ飛とんでいきます。
The plane will fly to the south.

彼かれは学校がっこうへ行いきました。
He went to school.

六ろく時じにここへ来きなさい。
Come here at six o’clock.

列車れっしゃは西にしへ走はしっていた。
The train was hurrying west.

Notes:

①Both へ and に has the function of telling us the destination of action，They are interchangeable most of the time.(But young people use に more and the old use へ more.)
②へ emphasizes the direction while に emphasizes point of destination.

Function 2: The Object of Action

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

Object + へ + Verb
Object + へ + の + Noun（This pattern is more often used.）

Example Sentences:

友達ともだちへ手て紙がみを書かく。
I write letters to friends.

友達ともだちへの手て紙がみはなくなりました。
I lost the letter to my friend.

父ちちへの贈おくり物ものを探さがしています。
I’m looking for a gift for my father.

彼かれへの愛あいはもう冷さめてしまった。
My love for him has already cooled.

私わたしたちの彼かれへの信頼しんらいは失うしなわれてしまった。
Our confidence in him is gone.

Notes:

①Both 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.
②If you want to express something like “A letter to a friend”, you can only say “友達ともだちへの手て紙がみ“, you can’t say “友達ともだちにの手て紙がみ“.

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