The に (Ni) Particle

An Introduction to に (ni)

The particle に is one of the most versatile and essential particles in Japanese. It can indicate direction, time, location, the purpose of movement, and even the indirect object of an action. But with so many uses, it's also one of the most confusing. Let’s walk through the core meanings of に, clarify where it fits in a sentence, and address the most common pitfalls.

1. に as a Direction Marker (Destination of Movement)

The most basic use of に is to mark the destination or target of a movement.

Examples:

がっこうにいきます。
Gakkou ni ikimasu.
(I go to school.)

とうきょうにひっこしました。
Tōkyō ni hikkoshimashita.
(I moved to Tokyo.)

In both sentences, に tells us where the action is going. You’ll often see it with verbs of movement like いく (go), くる (come), かえる (return), and かよう (commute).

✅ Use に when the verb implies arriving or reaching a place.

2. に for Specific Time Points

に marks a specific point in time when something happens.

Examples:

しちじにおきます。
Shichiji ni okimasu.
(I wake up at 7 o'clock.)

げつようびにあいましょう。
Getsuyōbi ni aimashou.
(Let’s meet on Monday.)

ごがつににほんへいきます。
Gogatsu ni Nihon e ikimasu.
(I’m going to Japan in May.)

✅ Use に when the time is exact or calendar-based.
❌ Don’t use に with vague time expressions like "yesterday" or "tomorrow" (e.g., 昨日 or 明日).

3. に as a Location of Existence

When something exists or remains somewhere, に marks that location.

Examples:

ねこがべっどにいます。
Neko ga beddo ni imasu.
(The cat is on the bed.)

ほんはつくえのうえにあります。
Hon wa tsukue no ue ni arimasu.
(The book is on the desk.)

✅ Use に with いる and ある to describe where things are located.

🆚 Compare this with で, which marks where actions happen.
→ コンビニでかいものします。 (I shop at the convenience store.)

4. に for Indirect Objects (The Receiver of an Action)

に can mark the recipient of an action.

Examples:

ともだちにプレゼントをあげました。
Tomodachi ni purezento o agemashita.
(I gave a gift to a friend.)

こどもにえいごをおしえます。
Kodomo ni eigo o oshiemasu.
(I teach English to children.)

✅ に shows who is receiving the action (not the main object, but the person it's aimed at).

5. に for Purpose or Goal (with Verbs of Movement)

に can also show the purpose of movement when paired with a verb stem or a noun + に行く.

Examples:

えいがをみにいきます。
Eiga o mini ikimasu.
(I’m going to see a movie.)

べんきょうしにきました。
Benkyō shi ni kimashita.
(I came to study.)

Here, に connects the action to its intent or goal. This is especially useful in everyday speech.

6. に with Passive and Potential Verbs

In passive constructions, に marks the doer of the action.

Example:

せんせいにほめられました。
Sensei ni homeraremashita.
(I was praised by the teacher.)

Similarly, に shows who allows or enables something in potential forms.

Example:

ははにゆるされました。
Haha ni yurusaremashita.
(I was allowed (by my mom).)

This often trips up learners who expect を or が instead.

7. に with Change, Result, or State

に appears after nouns or adjectives when describing a change in state, especially with verbs like なる (to become).

Examples:

いしゃになります。
Isha ni narimasu.
(I will become a doctor.)

じょうずになりました。
Jōzu ni narimashita.
(I got better (at something).)

あかくなった。
Akaku natta.
(It turned red.)

The pattern is: [Noun/な-adjective/い-adjective (w/く)] + に + なる

8. Common Mistakes with に

❌ Mistake 1: Using に with Non-Specific Times

Incorrect:
きのうにいきました。
Kinō ni ikimashita.
(I went yesterday.)
Correct:
きのういきました。
Kinō ikimashita.
(I went yesterday.)

に is only for specific times like "Monday" or "7 PM"—not general words like "today" or "yesterday."

❌ Mistake 2: Confusing に and で

Use:

• に → for existence or destination
• で → for action or event location

Example Pair:

としょかんにいます。
Toshokan ni imasu.
(I’m at the library (existing there).)

としょかんでべんきょうします。
Toshokan de benkyō shimasu.
(I study at the library (action happens there).)

❌ Mistake 3: Forgetting に with Purpose Constructions

When expressing intent with verbs like いく (go) or くる (come), learners often forget to include に.

Incorrect:
えいがみにいきます。
Eiga mini ikimasu.
(I’m going to see a movie.)
Correct:
えいがをみにいきます。
Eiga o mini ikimasu.
(I’m going to see a movie.)

に connects the verb stem (みに) to the purpose of the movement.

Summary

• Direction: Where you're going
  Example: がっこうにいきます。 (I go to school.)
• Time: When something happens
  Example: ３じにあいましょう。 (Let’s meet at 3 PM.)
• Location (Existence): Where something exists
  Example: つくえのうえにあります。 (The book is on the desk.)
• Indirect Object: The receiver of an action
  Example: ともだちにあげました。 (I gave it to a friend.)
• Purpose: Reason for movement
  Example: えいがをみにいきます。 (I’m going to see a movie.)
• Change of State: What something becomes
  Example: いしゃになります。 (I will become a doctor.)
• Passive Agent: Who performed the action (in passive)
  Example: せんせいにほめられました。 (I was praised by the teacher.)

Final Notes

に is not just one particle with one use—it's a system of connections.

Getting comfortable with its various functions takes time and repetition.

Watch out for overlap with で, へ, and を—these often show up in similar spots but mean very different things.