Guide – Particle 「に」

The に particle in Japanese is used to indicate a specific time or location. Here are several examples of how the に particle is used in Japanese:

Indicating Time:

The に particle is used to indicate a specific time when an action will take place or when an event happened. Here are some examples:

今日、会いに行く (kyou ai ni iku)
I will go to meet you today

8時に起きる (hachi-ji ni okiru)
I will wake up at 8 o’clock

昨日の日記に書いた (kinou no nikki wo kaita)
I wrote in my diary yesterday

Indicating Location:

The に particle is also used to indicate a specific location where an action will take place or where an event happened. Here are some examples:

公園に行く (kouen ni iku)
I will go to the park

学校にいる (gakkou ni iru)
I am at school

京都に旅行する (Kyouto ni ryokou suru)
I will travel to Kyoto

Indicating Purpose:

The に particle can also be used to indicate the purpose of an action. In this usage, the verb before the に particle is usually a movement verb, such as 行く (iku) or 来る (kuru). Here are some examples:

スーパーに買い物に行く (suupaa ni kaimono ni iku)
I will go to the supermarket to shop

図書館に本を借りに行く (toshokan ni hon wo karini iku)
I will go to the library to borrow a book

病院に診察を受けに行く (byouin ni shinsatsu wo ukeni iku)
I will go to the hospital to receive a medical examination

Indicating Duration:

The に particle can also be used to indicate the duration of an action. In this usage, the verb before the に particle is usually a verb indicating how long the action will take, such as 結婚式が2時間にかかる (kekkonshiki ga ni jikan ni kakaru) – The wedding will take 2 hours.

パーティーに3時間いた (paatii ni sanjikan ita)
I was at the party for 3 hours

映画を2回見るのに1週間かかった (eiga wo nikai miru noni isshukan kakatta)
It took one week to watch the movie twice

In conclusion, the に particle is an essential part of the Japanese language, used to indicate a specific time, location, purpose, or duration of an action. Understanding the usage of the に particle is essential for effective communication in Japanese.

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