JLPT N5 · Particles
に (ni)
～に — time, destination, place of existence
In short · A particle for a point in time, a destination, the place where something exists, and the target of an action. It attaches to nouns.
Pattern
-
時刻・日付・曜日＋にtime / day + に -
場所＋に＋あります／いますplace + に + あります / います
に for time
It marks a point in time: 七時に, 日曜日に. It is not used with 今日, 毎日 or いつも.
Destination and existence
へ in 山へ行きます can be replaced by に. The place where something is takes に: 机の上に本があります.
Difference from で
The place where an action happens takes で; the place where something exists takes に.
Examples
-
七時（しちじ）に起（お）きます。
Shichiji ni okimasu.
I get up at seven.
-
日曜日（にちようび）に山（やま）へ行（い）きます。
Nichiyōbi ni yama e ikimasu.
I go to the mountain on Sunday.
-
机（つくえ）の上（うえ）に本（ほん）があります。
Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu.
There is a book on the desk.
Common mistakes
- Do not say 毎日に or 今日に.
- Distinguish に and で: existence takes に, action takes で.
More grammar points
- は は (wa) — the topic particle
- を を (o) — the object particle
- に に (ni) — time, destination, location
- 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
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