• Previous article: 2.3.3. What is the particle nite?
• Next article: 2.3.5. What is the difference between to naru and ni naru?

2.3.4. How do I choose between de and ni?

Places

De

• Gakkou de benkyou suru (学校で勉強する), "I study at school"
• Kouen de ohiru wo tabeta (公園でお昼を食べた), "I ate my lunch in the park".
• Toshokan de hon wo yonda (図書舘で本を読んだ), "I read a book in the library".

Ni

(1) A place where something exists

• Kouen ni ahiru ga iru (公園にアヒルがいる), "There are some ducks in the park."
• Hon wa kaban ni haitte iru (本は鞄に入っている), "The book is in the bag."

(2) To indicate a destination

• Watashi wa mainichi kaisha ni iku (私は毎日会社に行く), "I go to the office every day."
• Nooto ni ji o kaku (ノートに字を書く), "I write in my notebook."

Fixed cases

• Kaisha ni tsutomeru (会社に勤める)
• Kaisha de hataraku (会社で働く)

Times

• Go-ji ni kaerimasu (５時にかえります), "I'll go home at five o'clock".

• jugyou wa go-ji de owarimasu (授業は５時で終ります) "The class finishes at five o'clock."

References and web links

1. A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, Makino and Tsutsui, pp. 105-111.
2. NI and DE from Japan Culture Study Group.

• Previous article: 2.3.3. What is the particle nite?
• Next article: 2.3.5. What is the difference between to naru and ni naru?

Copyright © 1994-2010 Ben Bullock

If you have questions, corrections, or comments, please contact Ben Bullock or use the discussion forum / Privacy

Book reviews	Convert Japanese numbers	Handwritten kanji recognition	Stroke order diagrams	Convert Japanese units	Popup dictionary