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JLPT N5Particles

に(ni) — Target, Time, and Existence Location

Marks a targeted point. This covers (1) destination of movement, (2) a specific point in time, (3) the indirect object (to/for whom), (4) the exact location where something exists, and (5) the purpose of movement.

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Free lessonUNIT 1 · PARTICLES

Structure · 形

[Target] に [Verb]

Examples · 例文

  • 日曜日に学校に行きます。

    Nichiyoubi ni gakkou ni ikimasu.

    I go to school on Sunday.

    日曜日 (Sunday) + に (specific time); 学校 (school) + に (destination)

  • 友達にプレゼントをあげます。

    Tomodachi ni purezento o agemasu.

    I give a present to a friend.

    友達 (friend) に (to = indirect object); プレゼント (present) を (object)

  • 机の上に本があります。

    Tsukue no ue ni hon ga arimasu.

    There is a book on the desk.

    机の上 (on the desk) に (location of existence)

Usage notes · 注意

  • Time Rule: Use に with ABSOLUTE time words that have numbers or fixed positions (3時に, 月曜日に, 2025年に). Do NOT use に with relative time words like 今日 (today), 明日 (tomorrow), or 毎日 (every day).
  • Location (に vs で): に marks WHERE something exists (with ある/いる/住む). で marks WHERE an action happens (with action verbs).
  • Purpose: With motion verbs (行く/来る), the ます-stem + に states purpose: 買いに行く (go to buy).

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones に is tested against.

vsで (location of action)

に marks the point where something exists or arrives (学校にいる, 学校に行く); で marks the place where an active event occurs (学校で勉強する).

vsへ (direction)

に and へ overlap for movement, but に emphasizes the destination/arrival point while へ emphasizes the direction headed. に also has many non-movement uses (time, existence, indirect object) that へ lacks.

vsを (departure)

For time and arrival に is used; but the place you leave FROM with 出る/降りる is marked with を (or から), not に: 電車を降りる, not 電車に降りる.

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