に (purpose)

• 読み: に
• ローマ字: ni
• 形: Verb masu-stem / Noun + に + Movement verb (行く, 来る, 帰る)

意味

A particle that indicates the purpose for which someone moves from one place to another. It connects a purpose with a movement verb, expressing why the person goes or comes somewhere.

When combined with the verb stem (masu-stem) and a movement verb like 行く, 来る, or 帰る, に expresses purpose — why you are going somewhere. The pattern is Verb masu-stem + に + 行く/来る/帰る. For example, 食べに行く means 'go to eat' and 買いに来る means 'come to buy.' The noun form can also be used: 買い物に行く (go shopping). This に cannot be replaced by へ because it indicates purpose, not direction. An important restriction is that only movement verbs can follow this に. Learners sometimes incorrectly use the dictionary form instead of the masu-stem before に.

例文

1. 昼ごはんを食べに行きましょう。
2. 友達が遊びに来ました。
3. 本を借りに図書館へ行った。

使い方ガイド

場面: spoken, written, everyday

トーン: descriptive

正しい言い方

• 週末は釣りに行きます。
• コンビニにお弁当を買いに行った。
• 日本に日本語を勉強しに来ました。

避ける言い方

• 映画を見るに行きます。(Using dictionary form instead of masu-stem before に — must be 見に, not 見るに) → 映画を見に行きます。
• 食べにします。(Using a non-movement verb after purposive に — only 行く, 来る, 帰る, etc. can follow) → 食べに行きます。

起源と歴史

This purposive に grammaticalized from the directional particle, extending from physical direction to abstract purpose. The connection between 'toward a place' and 'toward a goal' is a natural semantic extension found across Japanese grammar.

文化的背景

世代: All ages

社会的背景: Universal