Every Japanese learner eventually asks: What does に actually mean?
The answer: it doesn't have "one" meaning. に is one of the most versatile particles in Japanese, with at least seven common uses at the N5 level. The good news is that each use has a clear context — learn the context, and you won't get confused.
Use 1: Point in Time
Specific time + に
Marks when an action happens at a specific point in time.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 七時に起きます。 | I wake up at seven. |
| 月曜日に会議があります。 | There's a meeting on Monday. |
| 三月に日本へ行きます。 | I'm going to Japan in March. |
Note: Relative time words like 今日 (today), 昨日 (yesterday), and 毎日 (every day) do not take に. Only specific points like clock times, months, and days of the week use に.
Use 2: Location of Existence
Place + に + ある / いる
Marks where something or someone exists.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 机の上に本があります。 | There's a book on the desk. |
| 教室に学生がいます。 | There are students in the classroom. |
| 東京に住んでいます。 | I live in Tokyo. |
ある is for things; いる is for people and animals. に marks the location before either verb.
Use 3: Destination
Place + に + 行く / 来る / 帰る
Marks the arrival point of movement.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 学校に行きます。 | I go to school. |
| 日本に来ました。 | I came to Japan. |
| 家に帰ります。 | I go home. |
You can also use へ for destination (へ emphasizes direction, に emphasizes arrival). They're interchangeable in most cases.
Use 4: Target of Action
Person + に + Verb
Marks the target or recipient of an action (to whom, for whom).
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 友達に会います。 | I meet my friend. |
| 先生に聞きます。 | I ask the teacher. |
| 母に電話をかけます。 | I call my mother. |
| 友達にプレゼントをあげます。 | I give a present to my friend. |
Use 5: Purpose
Verb ます-stem / Noun + に + 行く
Marks the purpose of going somewhere.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 映画を見に行きます。 | I go to see a movie. |
| 買い物に行きます。 | I go shopping. |
| 友達に会いに行きます。 | I go to meet a friend. |
That last sentence has two に: 友達に (target — meet whom) and 会いに (purpose — in order to meet). The same sentence can have multiple に, each doing its own job.
Use 6: Frequency
Time period + に + Number of times
Marks how many times something happens within a given period.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 一年に二回日本へ行きます。 | I go to Japan twice a year. |
| 週に三日アルバイトをします。 | I work part-time three days a week. |
| 一日に三回薬を飲みます。 | I take medicine three times a day. |
Use 7: Boarding (Transportation)
Vehicle + に + 乗る
Marks what you ride or board.
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| バスに乗ります。 | I take the bus. |
| 電車に乗ります。 | I take the train. |
| 飛行機に乗ります。 | I take a plane. |
Note: "Getting off" uses を, not に: バスを降ります。 (I get off the bus.)
Quick Reference Table
| Use | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Time + に | 七時に起きます |
| Existence | Place + に + ある/いる | 机の上にあります |
| Destination | Place + に + 行く | 学校に行きます |
| Target | Person + に | 友達に会います |
| Purpose | ます-stem + に + 行く | 見に行きます |
| Frequency | Period + に + times | 一年に二回 |
| Boarding | Vehicle + に + 乗る | バスに乗ります |
Multiple に in One Sentence Is Normal
Because に has so many jobs, having two or three に in one sentence is perfectly natural:
友達に会いに東京に行きます。 → I go to Tokyo to meet a friend.
Three に in one sentence:
- 友達に → target (meet whom)
- 会いに → purpose (in order to meet)
- 東京に → destination (go where)
Each に does its own thing — no conflict.
Wrap-Up
- に has seven common N5 uses: time, location, destination, target, purpose, frequency, boarding
- How to tell them apart: look at what comes before に (a time? a place? a person? a verb?)
- Multiple に in one sentence is fine — each handles its own job
- Specific times use に; relative times (今日, 毎日) don't
Practice
Q1. In the sentence 「一年に二回日本に行きます」, there are two に. What does each one do?
Answer
- 一年に → frequency (within one year)
- 日本に → destination (to Japan)
The sentence means "I go to Japan twice a year."
Q2. Which sentence uses に as "target"? A. 七時に起きます。 B. 友達に電話をかけます。 C. 東京に住んでいます。
Answer
B. 友達に電話をかけます。
友達に = to my friend (target). A uses に for time; C uses に for location.
Q3. Why doesn't 今日 take に, while 月曜日 does?
Answer
今日 is a relative time word (which day "today" is changes every day) — no に. 月曜日 is a specific, fixed point in the week — it takes に.
Rule: specific times take に; relative times don't.