Meaning
The particle に marks the specific time when an action happens. The basic pattern is 'time noun + に + verb'. However, relative time expressions like きょう (today), あした (tomorrow), and きのう (yesterday) do not take に. Day-of-week and part-of-day expressions like 月曜日, あさ (morning), and よる (night) can optionally take に.
Formation
| Part of speech | Formation |
|---|---|
| 名词（时间） | 時間に 動詞 |
Examples
-
9:00に かいしゃへ いきます。
I go to the company at 9:00. -
8がつ21にちに おおさかへ いきました。
I went to Osaka on August 21st. -
あさって がっこうにいきます。
I go to school the day after tomorrow. -
らいげつ けっこんします。
I will get married next month. -
ひる（に） ゆうえんちに いきました。
I went to the amusement park during the daytime. -
よる（に） おにぎりを たべます。
I eat rice balls in the evening.
Summary
- Use に after specific times (hours, dates, months, years) to show when an action occurs
- Relative time words (today, tomorrow, yesterday) do not take に; use them directly before the verb
- Time expressions for days of the week and parts of the day (morning, afternoon, night) can take に or stand alone without it