At beginner level, you memorized と = and, で = at, から = from. At N3, you discover each of these particles has three or four different faces — and swapping one face for another changes the entire sentence.
This article catalogs every use of と, で, and から, plus key details about へ and に for direction and time.
と: Three Faces
1. Listing: A and B
The most basic use — listing items:
りんごとみかんを買った。 Bought apples and oranges.
2. Partner: Mutual Interaction
と marks a two-way interaction partner — both parties are participants:
| Example | Note |
|---|---|
| 先生と相談する Consult with the teacher | Both discussing |
| 吉田さんと結婚する Marry Yoshida | Both involved |
| 友達と遊ぶ Hang out with friends | Mutual activity |
と vs に: Two-Way vs One-Way
| Particle | Direction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| と | Two-way | 先生と相談する (consult with the teacher) |
| に | One-way | 先生に聞く (ask the teacher — one direction) |
Marriage requires と (both participate) — you can't say ×吉田さんに結婚する.
3. Content: Quoting Speech or Thought
と can quote what someone said or thought — here it doesn't follow a noun:
| Example | Note |
|---|---|
| 「行く」と言った Said "I'll go" | Direct quote |
| 大丈夫だと思う Think it's fine | Quoting thought |
で: Four Faces
1. Location of Action
で marks where an action takes place:
公園で遊ぶ。 Play in the park.
2. Means / Method / Material
で marks "by what means":
| Example | Note |
|---|---|
| 箸で食べる Eat with chopsticks | Tool |
| 100円で買った Bought for 100 yen | Cost |
| 二人で運ぶ Two people carry it | Number of participants |
| 木で作った Made of wood | Material |
3. Cause / Reason
で can express the cause of a state:
| Example | Note |
|---|---|
| 病気で休む Rest due to illness | Cause |
| スタンドは観衆でいっぱいだった The stands were packed with spectators | Packed because of spectators |
| 心は悲しみでいっぱいだった Heart was full of sadness | Full because of sadness |
4. Scope / Limit
で can mark a range or deadline:
| Example | Note |
|---|---|
| 世界で一番 Best in the world | Scope of comparison |
| 3日で締め切る Deadline in 3 days | Time limit |
で vs に (Location): Action vs Arrival
This pair causes the most confusion. Watch the same verb 止まる (stop):
| Sentence | Meaning | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| エレベーターは5階で止まった。 | The elevator stopped at the 5th floor. | で = where the action happened (stopping occurred at floor 5) |
| エレベーターは5階に止まった。 | The elevator came to rest at the 5th floor. | に = arrival point (result of stopping is floor 5) |
Quick test: Focus on "where the action happened" → で. Focus on "where it ended up" → に.
から: Four Faces
1. Starting Point (Space/Time)
The most basic use — from where, from when:
9時から働く。 Work from 9 o'clock. 東京から来た。 Came from Tokyo.
2. Reason (Conjunctive)
から as a conjunctive particle means "because":
暑いから、窓を開けた。 Because it was hot, I opened the window.
Note: Here から follows a predicate (sentence), unlike the starting-point use (follows a noun).
3. Composition
Expressing "made of / consisting of":
この薬は3つの成分からできている。 This medicine is made of 3 components.
4. Via / Through
から can mean "through" a point:
窓から外を見る。 Look outside through the window.
5. からといって: "Just because... doesn't mean..."
An important compound pattern:
喧嘩に勝ったからといって、偉いわけではない。 → Just because you won a fight doesn't make you great.
Bonus: へ vs に (Direction vs Arrival)
| Particle | Core | Example |
|---|---|---|
| へ | Direction (toward) | どこへ行くの？ Where are you headed? |
| に | Arrival point | 学校に着いた。 Arrived at school. |
Mostly interchangeable in daily speech, but one key difference:
への (for someone) can only use へ, not に:
これは両親への手紙です。 This is a letter for my parents. ×これは両親にの手紙です。 (にの doesn't exist in Japanese)
Bonus: に + Time (When Can You Add に?)
に can mark a time point, but not all time words take に. The rule: only fixed, specific points on a calendar/clock take に:
| ○ Can add に | × Cannot add に |
|---|---|
| 3時に (at 3:00) | ×今日に (today) |
| 月曜日に (on Monday) | ×明日に (tomorrow) |
| 7月1日に (on July 1) | ×来週に (next week) |
| 2026年に (in 2026) | ×昨日に (yesterday) |
Test: Can you point to this time on a calendar/clock as a fixed spot? Yes → add に. No (like "tomorrow," which shifts daily) → don't add に.
Summary
- と: Listing (and), two-way partner, quoting content
- で: Location of action, means/method/material, cause, scope/deadline
- から: Starting point, reason (conjunctive), composition, via/through
- で vs に (location): Where the action happens vs where it ends up — same verb, different meaning
- へ vs に (direction): Mostly interchangeable, but への is a fixed pattern
- に + time: Only fixed calendar/clock time points take に
- からといって: Just because... doesn't mean...
Practice Questions
Q1. と or に: 「先生＿結婚する」
Show answer
先生と結婚する。 (Marry the teacher.)
Marriage is a two-way interaction — must use と. に is only for one-directional actions.
Q2. What's the difference between 「5階で止まった」 and 「5階に止まった」?
Show answer
- 5階で止まった → Focus on "the stopping action happened at floor 5" (dynamic process)
- 5階に止まった → Focus on "the result of stopping is floor 5" (static arrival)
で = where the action occurs, に = arrival/resting point.
Q3. Why can't you say 「明日に」?
Show answer
Because に only attaches to fixed, specific time points. "3 o'clock" and "July 1st" are fixed on a clock/calendar → に OK. But "tomorrow" shifts depending on what today is — it's not a fixed point → no に.