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JAPANESE PREPOSITIONS
A preposition is a word or group of words that show time, direction, location, or relationships in space, or introduces an object.
Think about words like in, at, or on. There are too many prepositions in Japanese to mention all of them here, so I’ll go into details about 4 in particular.
JAPANESE PREPOSITION に
に ni
に is a beast of a preposition in Japanese. It has so many uses in so many different circumstances that new learners of the language find it especially difficult to get the hang of. You’ll find some common uses below.
に for locations
Use に to indicate a specific location, place or destination, where an action takes place, or a person/thing is located.
PATTERN
Location + に
| 学校に行きます |
| Gakkou ni ikimasu |
| I’m going to school |
BONUS || Learn more about Japanese location particles here.
に for time
You can use に to indicate specific points in time, such as dates or times of day.
PATTERN
Time + に
| 月曜日に会いましょう |
| Getsuyoubi ni aimashou |
| Let’s meet on Monday |
に for purpose
に can be used to show the purpose or goal of an action.
PATTERN
Purpose + に
| 音楽を聞くにはヘッドフォンが必要です |
| Ongaku o kiku ni wa heddofon ga hitsuyou desu |
| You need headphones to listen to music |
に for indirect object
に can indicate the recipient of an action when the verb implies giving, sending, or doing something for someone.
PATTERN
Recipient of action + に
| 友達にプレゼントをあげた |
| Tomodachi ni purezento o ageta |
| I gave a present to my friend |
に for frequency
Use に to indicate how often something happens.
PATTERN
Frequency + に
| 毎日に練習します |
| Mainichi ni renshuu shimasu |
| I practice every day |
に for passive constructions
In passive sentences, に is often used to indicate the agent, the one performing the action.
PATTERN
Performer of the action + に
| 手紙は友達に書かれました |
| Tegami wa tomodachi ni kakaremashita |
| The letter was written by my friend |
に for appointments
に is used to specify a time for appointments, meetings, or scheduled events.
PATTERN
Appointment + に
| 会議は3時に始まります |
| Kaigi wa san-ji ni hajimarimasu |
| The meeting starts at 3 o’clock |
に for specific verbs
Some verbs require に. For example:
- 〜に行くni iku to go to
- 〜に来る ni kuru to come to
- 〜に対してni taishite towards, regarding, etc
| 彼に会いに行く |
| Kare ni ai ni iku |
| I’m going to meet him |
に for inanimate objects
に can sometimes be used with inanimate objects to show an indirect object or a location where something is happening.
PATTERN
Object + に
| 部屋に本があります |
| Heya ni hon ga arimasu |
| There is a book in the room |
Remember that the use of に can vary based on the context and the specific verb it’s associated with.
It’s essential to practice and observe how native speakers use this particle to become more proficient in using it correctly in various situations.
JAPANESE PREPOSITION で
で de
The particle で is a versatile and commonly used particle in the Japanese language. It serves various functions and can be used in a variety of contexts.
Here’s a comprehensive explanation of how to use で in different situations:
で for location
Use で to indicate the location where an action takes place or an event occurs.
PATTERN
Location + で
| レストランで食事をします |
| Resutoran de shokuji o shimasu |
| I will have a meal at the restaurant |
で for method
で can be used to show the means or method by which an action is performed.
PATTERN
Method + で
| 車で通勤します |
| Kuruma de tsuukin shimasu |
| I commute by car |
で for duration
You can use で to specify a particular time or the duration over which an action occurs.
PATTERN
Time / Duration + で
| 1時間で終わります |
| Ichi jikan de owarimasu |
| It will end in one hour |
で for reason
で can indicate the reason or cause behind an action or a state.
PATTERN
Reason / Cause + で
| 寒さで風邪をひきました |
| Samusa de kaze o hikimashita |
| I caught a cold because of the cold weather |
で for range
Use で to specify the scope or range within which an action is taking place.
PATTERN
Range + で
| 公園で遊んでいます |
| Kouen de asondeimasu |
| I’m playing in the park |
で for instruments
で can be used to indicate the instrument or tool used to perform an action.
PATTERN
Tool + で
| ペンで書いています |
| Pen de kaiteimasu |
| I’m writing with a pen |
で for occupation
で is used to describe someone’s occupation, job, or role.
PATTERN
Occupation + で
| 彼は医者で、病院で働いています |
| Kare wa isha de, byouin de hataraiteimasu |
| He is a doctor and works at the hospital |
で for price
で is used to indicate the price at which something is bought or sold.
PATTERN
Price + で
| これは1000円で買いました |
| Kore wa sen en de kaimashita |
| I bought this for 1000 yen |
で for manner
Use で to describe the manner or style in which an action is performed.
PATTERN
Manner + で
| 彼は元気に話す |
| Kare wa genki ni hanasu |
| He speaks energetically |
で with specific particles
Some verbs require で. For example:
- 〜で行くde iku to go by
- 〜で来るde kuru to come by, etc.
| 電車で行きます |
| Densha de ikimasu |
| I will go by train |
JAPANESE PREPOSITION 後ろに
後ろに ushironi
The phrase 後ろに (うしろに) in Japanese refers to behind or in the back of and is used to indicate the location or position of something or someone in relation to another object or point of reference.
PATTERN
[Object or Person] + うしろに + [Reference Point]
| 机のうしろに本があります | Tsukue no ushiro ni hon ga arimasu | There is a book behind the desk | Location of Objects |
| 彼女は車のうしろに立っています | Kanojo wa kuruma no ushiro ni tatteimasu | She is standing behind the car. | Position of people |
| バス停のうしろに左に曲がってください | Basu-tei no ushiro ni hidari ni magatte kudasai | Please turn left behind the bus stop | Direction indication |
| 会議のうしろにランチをとりましょう | Kaigi no ushiro ni ranchi o torimashou | Let’s have lunch after the meeting | Temporal use |
JAPANESE PREPOSITION の前に
の前に no mae ni
The phrase の前に in Japanese is used to indicate in front of or before and describes the location or position of something or someone in relation to another object or point of reference.
PATTERN
[Object or Person] + の前に+ [Reference Point]
| 車の前に樹木があります. | Kuruma no mae ni jumoku ga arimasu | There are trees in front of the car. | Location of objects |
| 彼は教室の前に立っています. | Kare wa kyoushitsu no mae ni tatteimasu | He is standing in front of the classroom. | Position of people |
| レストランの前に左折してください. | Resutoran no mae ni tousha shite kudasai | Please turn left in front of the restaurant. | Direction indication |
| 食事の前に手を洗いましょう. | Shokuji no mae ni te o araimashou | Let’s wash our hands before the meal. | Temporal use |
| 夏の前に春があります. | Natsu no mae ni haru ga arimasu | Before summer, there is spring. | Comparative use |
SUMMARY
- にni is a versatile preposition that is used to indicate direction, time, frequency, and more.
- でde is another versatile preposition used to indicate location, method, occupation, price, and more.
- の後ろにno ushiro ni is a preposition used to express behind.
- の前にno mae ni is a preposition used to express in front of.
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FAQs
How to use に ni?
に (ni) is used for the state of existing or being somewhere.
私は東京に住んでいます。Watashi wa Tokyo ni sunde imasu. | I live in Tokyo.
It is also used for time, helping set the scene of a verb.
朝十時に買い物に行く。asa jyuu ji ni kaimono ni iku. | I’ll go shopping at 10am.
How to use で de?
で is used to mark the location of an action.
家で雑誌を読みます。Ie de zasshi o yomimasu. | I read magazines at home.
学校で勉強した。Gakkou de benkyou shita. | I studied at school.
Beginners often mistake で (de) and に (ni). Make sure if you’re talking about an action taking place, then use で , whilst a non-action related location is に ni.
How to use 後ろに?
The phrase うしろに in Japanese refers to behind or in the back of and is used to indicate the location or position of something or someone in relation to another object or point of reference.
[Object or Person] + うしろに + [Reference Point]
Example:
机のうしろに本があります
Tsukue no ushiro ni hon ga arimasu
There is a book behind the desk
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Check out our free lesson for more examples.
How to use の前に?
The phrase の前に in Japanese is used to indicate in front of or before and describes the location or position of something or someone in relation to another object or point of reference.
[Object or Person] + の前に+ [Reference Point]
Example:
車の前に樹木があります.
Kuruma no mae ni jumoku ga arimasu
There are trees in front of the car.
How to improve my Japanese speaking skills?
To improve your Japanese speaking skills we strongly recommend speaking with a native speaker, be it a friend or a teacher. This way, you can get instant feedback on your pronunciation and improve your listening skills as well.
You can also use our LTL Japanese Pronunciation Tool. Speak in your microphone and the software will let you know what you need to improve.
This tool works in pair with our Flexi Classes, and every sentences you practice can be found in our Japanese online lessons.
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