"Go to the convenience store to buy something." "Go to Japan to travel." In these sentences, "buying something" and "traveling" are the purpose of going. Japanese uses the particle に to mark this purpose, followed by a movement verb: 行く (go) / 来る (come) / 帰る (go back).
Two Patterns
Pattern 1: Verb Stem + に行く
Verb stem (masu-stem) + に + 行く
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 駅へ弁当を買いに行きます。 | I'm going to the station to buy a bento. |
| 友達に会いに行きます。 | I'm going to see a friend. |
| 映画を見に行きます。 | I'm going to watch a movie. |
| 本を読みに図書館へ行きます。 | I'm going to the library to read. |
The に here doesn't mean "at" or "to (a place)" — it means "in order to."
Breaking Down the First Sentence
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 駅へ | toward the station (direction) |
| 弁当を | bento (object being bought) |
| 買いに | in order to buy (purpose) |
| 行きます | go |
The verb stem (masu-stem) is the ます form minus ます: 買います → 買い, 見ます → 見, 会います → 会い
Pattern 2: Noun + に行く
When the purpose is a noun that describes an activity (like "travel," "shopping," "a walk"), attach に directly to the noun:
Noun + に + 行く
| Japanese | English |
|---|---|
| 旅行に行きます。 | I'm going on a trip. |
| 買い物に行きます。 | I'm going shopping. |
| 散歩に行きます。 | I'm going for a walk. |
| 日本へ旅行に行きます。 | I'm going to Japan to travel. |
Notice the last sentence has both へ (direction: Japan) and に (purpose: travel). The two particles do different jobs and don't conflict.
Not Just 行く — Also Works with 来る and 帰る
The core of this pattern is "purpose に + movement verb," so it's not limited to 行く:
| Movement Verb | Example | English |
|---|---|---|
| 行く | 食べに行く | go to eat |
| 来る | 食べに来る | come to eat |
| 帰る | 食べに帰る | go back to eat |
友達が遊びに来ました。 → A friend came over to hang out.
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the て-form Instead
- ❌ 弁当を買って行きます。 → This means "buy (a bento) and then go" — two sequential actions
- ✅ 弁当を買いに行きます。 → This means "go in order to buy a bento" — one purpose
Mistake: Forgetting to Use the Verb Stem
- ❌ 映画を見るに行きます。
- ✅ 映画を見に行きます。 → 見る → 見 (verb stem)
Purpose に vs. Other Uses of に
The particle に wears many hats in Japanese. Here, it marks purpose — different from location に:
| Sentence | Meaning of に |
|---|---|
| 学校に行きます。 | Go to school (destination) |
| 弁当を買いに行きます。 | Go to buy a bento (purpose) |
| 友達に会います。 | Meet a friend (target/object) |
Don't worry about mixing them up — if a place noun comes before に, it's a destination; if a verb stem or action noun comes before に, it's a purpose.
Summary
- Verb stem + に行く = go to do something (買いに行く)
- Noun + に行く = go to do something (旅行に行く)
- に here marks "purpose," not location
- Also works with 来る (come to do) and 帰る (go back to do)
- Verb stem = ます form minus ます
Self-Check
Q1. How do you say "go to watch a movie" in Japanese?
Show answer
映画を見に行きます。
The verb stem of 見る is 見 (drop る), plus に行きます → 見に行きます.
Q2. What does 「友達が遊びに来ました」 mean?
Show answer
A friend came over to hang out.
遊び (verb stem of 遊ぶ) + に + 来ました (came) = came in order to hang out.
Q3. In 「日本へ旅行に行きます」, there are two particles へ and に. What does each one mean?
Show answer
- へ = direction (toward Japan)
- に = purpose (in order to travel)
Each particle has its own job: toward Japan (direction) to travel (purpose).