What is に?
The particle に (ni) is one of the most common and versatile particles in Japanese. If you are just starting out, you will bump into it everywhere. And that is because it handles several important jobs in a sentence.
At its core, に marks a target or destination point. Think of it as an arrow pointing at something specific: a point in time, a place where something exists, a person receiving something, or a state that something is changing into. Once you grasp that "pinpoint" feeling, the different uses start to click together.
Beginners often mix up に with で, since both can relate to location. And we cover the distinction in detail in our に vs で guide. The key difference: に tells you where something exists or arrives, while で tells you where an action takes place. A cat sitting on a chair uses に. A student studying at the library uses で.
You will also see に paired with verbs of motion. Similar to へ, though に emphasizes the arrival point while へ emphasizes direction. に appears with verbs of motion (行く, 来る, 帰る) to mark where you are heading, and with time words to mark when something happens. It even shows up in the pattern になる to express change of state.
Let's break down each use with clear examples so you can start using に with confidence.
Main Uses of に
Time (Specific Times)
Use に after specific time nouns. Days, dates, clock times, months, years: to say "at" or "on" that time. Our lesson on time and schedules digs deeper into に for marking when things happen, and our guide on how to tell time in Japanese covers clock times and time expressions in detail. Note: you do NOT use に with relative time words like 今日 (きょう), 明日 (あした), or 毎日 (まいにち).
Location (Where Something Exists — に vs で)
When describing where a person, animal, or thing exists, use に with いる or ある. This is different from で, which marks where an action happens.
Direction / Destination
With movement verbs like 行く (いく), 来る (くる), and 帰る (かえる), に marks the destination. The place you are heading toward.
Indirect Object (Giving TO Someone)
When you give, send, teach, or tell something to someone, に marks the recipient. The person on the receiving end.
Change of State (になる)
The pattern [noun/na-adjective] + になる means "to become." Here に marks the new state or result.
Times Per Period
You can use に to express frequency. How many times something happens within a given period. The pattern is [period] + に + [number] + 回 (かい).
Example Sentences
Time:
-
七時（しちじ）に起（お）きます。
I wake up at seven o'clock. -
三月（さんがつ）に日本（にほん）へ行（い）きます。
I will go to Japan in March.
Location of existence:
-
机（つくえ）の上（うえ）に猫（ねこ）がいます。
There is a cat on the desk. -
駅（えき）の近（ちか）くにコンビニがあります。
There is a convenience store near the station.
Destination:
-
学校（がっこう）に行（い）きます。
I go to school. -
友達（ともだち）が家（いえ）に来（き）ました。
My friend came to my house.
Indirect object:
- 母（はは）にプレゼントをあげました。
I gave a present to my mother.
Change of state:
- 将来（しょうらい）、医者（いしゃ）になりたいです。
I want to become a doctor in the future.
Times per period:
- 週（しゅう）に三回（さんかい）運動（うんどう）します。
I exercise three times a week.