In Japanese, に transcribed ni is is one of the case-marking particles, or 格助詞 transcribed kakujoshi, meaning it is used to mark the role a noun or noun phrase plays in a sentence. に transcribed ni most frequently marks a noun that indicates the direction of travel, the location of something, the time when something takes place, or the indirect object of a verb.
Direction of travel
週末、友達の家に行きます。Transcription: Shūmatsu, tomodachi no ie ni ikimasu.Translation: I’m going to my friend’s house this weekend.Location
机の上にねこがいる。Transcription: Tsukue no ue ni neko ga iru.Translation: There is a cat on the top of a deskTime
５時に待ち合わせしましょう。Transcription: Goji ni machiawase shimashō.Translation: Let’s meet up at 5 o’clock.- 友人に本を買ってあげた。Transcription: Yūjin ni hon o katte ageta.Translation: I bought my friend a book.
But that isn’t all as に transcribed ni plays a rather diverse range of functions! In this article we will introduce you to all the uses of に transcribed ni, from the most to least common. We’ll also compare the use of に transcribed ni with the use of some of the particles that can perform overlapping functions, like へ transcribed e, を transcribed o, and で transcribed de. Let's start!
What are the uses of に [ni]?
に transcribed ni is unique among these Japanese case-marking particles because of the wide range of uses it has. As we said above, に transcribed ni is most frequently used to mark:
the destination and direction of movement
the location where something exists
times and dates
the
However, に transcribed ni can also sometimes mark:
the or source of an action
a point of contact
the purpose of movement
the result of a change
“per” in a ratio
We will especially focus on the first four functions in this article, but we will look at examples of the other uses at the bottom of this page. Let’s go through the uses one-by-one!
How to use に [ni] for a destination or direction of movement?
に transcribed ni can be used to mark the destination or goal of a movement, much like the word “to” or “towards.” Usually, when に transcribed ni plays this role, it’s used in a sentence with a verb of motion like 行く transcribed ikumeaning to go or 帰る transcribed kaerumeaning to return.
Though に transcribed ni often mark to destinations which the action will eventually reach, it can also be used like “towards” to indicate the general direction of movement.
に [ni] vs. へ [e]
Both に transcribed ni and へ transcribed e are used, in Japanese, to describe the direction of movement. So what’s the difference?
に transcribed ni is used much more frequently in spoken everyday Japanese than へ transcribed e.
に transcribed ni tends to mark the final destination one reaches (more like “to”), while へ transcribed e tends to mark the direction of the movement (more like “towards”).
- その列車はスペインに向かう。Transcription: Sono ressha wa Supein ni mukau.Translation: The train is heading to Spain.
- その列車はスペインへ向かう。Transcription: Sono ressha wa Supein e mukau.Translation: The train is heading towards Spain.Implied: We’ll stop in Spain, but then go on.
Japanese speakers are not always careful about this distinction in daily conversation. However in phrases where there is extra emphasis on the fact that you’re discussing path or direction, the distinction can be stronger. For example, in the phrase 家への道のり transcribed ie e no michinorimeaning the path to the house, に transcribed ni cannot be replaced with へ transcribed e.
に [ni] vs. を [o] for direction of movement
When used to discuss movement, に transcribed ni and を transcribed o are opposites: に transcribed ni is like “to” while を transcribed o is like “from.” So what makes this distinction confusing?
| に transcribed ni = “to” or “toward” | を transcribed o = “away from” |
|---|---|
家に入る Transcription: ie ni hairu Translation: enter home | 家を出る Transcription: ie o deru Translation: leave home |
電車に乗る Transcription: densha ni noru Translation: get on the train | 電車を降りる Transcription: densha o oriru Translation: get off the train |
大学に入学する Transcription: daigaku ni nyūgaku suru Translation: enter a university | 大学を卒業する Transcription: daigaku o sotsugyō suru Translation: graduate from a university |
The trickier contrast, though, comes in the case where を transcribed o can be used to discuss a location someone passes through on their way somewhere else. We can see this contrast in the examples below:
| に transcribed ni = destination | を transcribed o = location passed through |
|---|---|
山に登る Transcription: yama ni noboru Translation: climb a mountain Climbing the mountain is the goal. You’re climbing “up” and “onto” the mountain. | 山を登る Transcription: yama o noboru Translation: climb a mountain You have to climb the mountain to get somewhere else. You’re climbing “over” the mountain. |
This is why you’ll usually hear を transcribed o used to describe climbing stairs: you usually climb stairs to get somewhere else, not just to stop on the stairs!
| に transcribed ni = destination | を transcribed o = location passed through |
|---|---|
階段に上る Transcription: kaidan ni noboru Translation: to climb onto stairs rare | 階段を上る Transcription: kaidan o noboru Translation: to go up the stairs common |
When to use に [ni] to mark a location?
に transcribed ni can also be used in sentences that don’t involve movement. In this case it follows the location where someone or something exists.
You’ll most often hear に transcribed ni used this way alongside the verbs ある transcribed aru or いる transcribed iru, which both mean “there is/are.” いる transcribed iru is used with people or animals while ある transcribed aru is used with inanimate objects.
But you can also use に transcribed ni this way with other verbs for existence. For example 入る transcribed hairumeaning to have been entered and 住む transcribed sumumeaning to live are commonly used with locational に transcribed ni.
に [ni] vs で [de]
Both に transcribed ni and で transcribed de are used to mark a location, but they tend to be used with different kinds of verbs. This difference can be hard to capture in all cases, but the general rule is this:
に transcribed ni is used with actions that are completely static. Usually they can be verbs for existence or activities that don’t involve movement or change.
We don’t use に transcribed ni with that many verbs, but here are some examples of completely static verbs in Japanese:
Static activities: に transcribed ni Japanese English いる transcribed iruthere is/are (animate)
ある transcribed aruthere is/are (inanimate)
住む transcribed sumuto live
泊まる transcribed tomaruto stay overnight
勤める transcribed tsutomeruto be employed (at…)
立つ transcribed tatsuto stand
座る transcribed suwaruto sit
These verbs can be used in the progressive form ～ている transcribed teiru to express a sustained state, such as 座っている transcribed suwatteirumeaning to be sitting and 乗っている transcribed notteirumeaning to be riding.
で transcribed de is used for activities that are more dynamic, like 食べる transcribed taberumeaning to eat or 話す transcribed hanasumeaning to speak. These activities will often require someone to move or otherwise actively engage in the action.
Let’s have a look at some examples!
| に transcribed ni = static | で transcribed de = dynamic |
|---|---|
✅ アパートに住んでいる。 Transcription: Apāto ni sunde iru. Translation: I live in an apartment. | ❌ アパートで住んでいる。 Transcription: Apāto de sunde iru. |
✅ 母はうちにいる。 Transcription: Haha wa uchi ni iru. Translation: My mother is at home. | ❌ 母はうちでいる。 Transcription: Haha wa uchi de iru. |
There are also some borderline cases, like “sleeping” where both に transcribed ni and で transcribed de are acceptable.
| に transcribed ni = static | で transcribed de = dynamic |
|---|---|
✅ 赤ちゃんはベッドに寝ている。 Transcription: Akachan wa beddo ni nete iru. Translation: The baby is sleeping in the bed. Focus on where the baby is. | ✅ 赤ちゃんはベッドで寝ている。 Transcription: Akachan wa beddo de nete iru. Translation: The baby is sleeping in the room. Focus on what the baby is doing. |
✅ 庭に花が咲いている。 Transcription: Niwa ni hana ga saite iru. Translation: Flowers are in bloom in the garden. They are all currently open: static. | 🆗 庭で花が咲いている Transcription: Niwa de hana ga saite iru. Translation: Flowers are blooming in the garden. Sounds like they’re all actively opening and closing. Technically allowed, but very unlikely! |
The distinction is not always intuitive for language learners, but with a little practice, you’ll get the hang of it!
When to use に [ni] to mark a time or date?
に transcribed ni is often used to mark a phrase that represents the exact time or exact day when something occurs. You might translate this use of に transcribed ni using words like “at” or “on”, such as “at one o’clock” and “on Sunday.” Here are some examples using に transcribed ni for time and date:
However, while you’ll sometimes need to include に transcribed ni, you don’t need to add it before every expression representing a time or date! Specific points in time such as “one o’clock” and “Monday” tend to take に transcribed ni. Less specific times, like 午後 transcribed gogomeaning in the afternoon or 来月 transcribed raigetsumeaning next month, sometimes take に transcribed ni and sometimes don’t.
When do you NOT need to use に [ni] to mark a time?
Here are three types of time phrase that should not be marked by に transcribed ni:
The time is relative: The date or time represented changes depending on when the speaker says it.
明日友達と会う約束がある。Transcription: Ashita tomodachi to au yakusoku ga aru.Translation: I have an appointment to meet with a friend tomorrow.These are some more examples of time phrases that aren’t used with に transcribed ni:
Japanese English 今 transcribed imanow
今日 transcribed kyōtoday
明日 transcribed ashitatomorrow
昨日 transcribed kinōyesterday
今週 transcribed konshūthis week
今年 transcribed kotoshithis year
The time represents a frequency.
毎朝ヨーグルトを食べる。Transcription: Maiasa yōguruto o taberu.Translation: I eat yogurt every morning.The time represents a duration.
昨日は3時間オンラインゲームをした。Transcription: Kinō wa sanjikan onrain gēmu o shita.Translation: I played an online game for three hours yesterday.
How to use に [ni] as the indirect object marker in Japanese?
に transcribed ni is the particle used to mark the indirect object of a verb in Japanese.
Keep in mind these differences between a direct object and an indirect object:
A direct object is the noun that is directly acted upon or affected by the verb. In the sentence above, the cheese is the direct object, since that’s the noun that was moved from one owner to another.
An indirect object is not the direct object, but is still affected by the fact that the action took place. Usually, an indirect object receives something, benefits from the action, or is harmed by the action.
Let’s look at this contrast using some examples! Notice that, in Japanese, the indirect object tends to come before the direct object.
In Japanese, some verbs will have an indirect object, but no direct object. The indirect object here is usually still a recipient of some benefit or feeling, or is receiving something abstract, like a message.
What are some other uses of に [ni]?
Though the uses of に transcribed ni outlined above are the most common, there are several other less common uses. Let’s have a look at some other phrases that will be marked by に transcribed ni!
The “doer” of a passive verb
に transcribed ni is used like “by,” to mark the agent (doer) of a passive verb in Japanese.
父に叱られた。Transcription: Chichi ni shikarareta.Translation: I was scolded by my father.Someone made to perform an intransitive action
When used alongside a , に transcribed ni is used to mark a noun who is made to move or sometimes to perform some other intransitive action.
先生は園児たちに歩道を歩かせた。Transcription: Sensei wa enjitachi ni hodō o arukaseta.Translation: The teacher made kindergarteners walk on the sidewalk.If the “causee” is made to perform other sorts of actions or undergo a verb, though, other particles might be used instead. Check out our post on causative verbs in Japanese to learn more!
Point of contact
に transcribed ni can be used to discuss something being transferred or pushed “on” or “onto” something else, for example:
紙に絵を描く。Transcription: Kami ni e o kaku.Translation: I draw on paper.車が電柱にぶつかる。Transcription: Kuruma ga denchū ni butsukaru.Translation: The car crashed into a utility pole.Purpose of a movement
に transcribed ni can be used a to mark the purpose or reason you’re going somewhere, sort of like “in order to” in English.
映画を見に行こう。Transcription: Eiga o mi ni ikō.Translation: Let’s go see a movie.Result of a change
When a change takes place, に transcribed ni is used to mark the “result state” of that change.
信号が赤に変わる。Transcription: Shingō ga aka ni kawaru.Translation: The traffic lights turned red.“Per” in a ratio
We use に transcribed ni to mark the denominator (the number it’s “out of”) in a ratio.
1000万人に一人Transcription: issenman nin ni hitoriTranslation: one in 10 million people3日に一度Transcription: mikka ni ichidoTranslation: one every 3 days
To sum up
In this article, we have explored the various functions of the case-marking particle に transcribed ni, focusing on its four major uses and clarifying differences from some other particles. These major usages are to mark:
Destination and direction of movement, as in going “to” a location,
Location where a sustained activity takes place, as in a cat “on” or “in” the desk,
Time or date reference, as in meeting “at” one o’clock, and
Indirect object of the verb, as in giving a gift “to” a friend.
We have also briefly looked at other functions of the particle に transcribed ni, which are to mark the following:
Agent of a passive verb
Someone made to move or perform other intransitive actions
Point of contact
Purpose of movement
Result of change
Per; ratio
We covered a lot of information in this article. If you want to learn more about に transcribed ni, try these に transcribed niactivities to check how much you remember. Happy learning!
