に (agent/source)

Japanese Grammar Basic Japanese ★★★★ 4/5 neutral にni
Reading に
Romaji ni
Formation Agent/Source + に + Passive verb / もらう / Causative verb

Meaning

A particle that indicates the agent or source in passive constructions, causative sentences, and receiving expressions with もらう and てもらう. It marks who performs the action upon the subject.

In passive sentences, に marks the person or thing that performs the action (the agent), similar to 'by' in English. For example, 先生に褒められた means 'I was praised by the teacher.' In もらう/てもらう constructions, に marks the source — the person from whom one receives or the person who does the favor. In causative sentences, に can mark the person who is made or allowed to do something. This に is crucial for understanding Japanese voice and perspective-shifting constructions. Learners sometimes confuse this with から for the source; while both can sometimes be used, に is standard with passive verbs and もらう.

Examples

  1. 電車で隣の人に足を踏まれた。 I had my foot stepped on by the person next to me on the train.
  2. 先生に作文を褒められました。 I was praised for my essay by the teacher.
  3. 友達に宿題を手伝ってもらった。 I had my friend help me with my homework.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

  • 弟にケーキを食べられた。
  • 上司に仕事を頼まれました。
  • 彼に駅まで送ってもらいました。
  • 親に勉強させられた。

Don't Say

  • 先生から褒められた。(から is unnatural with passive — use に for the agent) → 先生に褒められた。
  • 友達が手伝ってもらった。(Using が instead of に with もらう for the source person) → 友達に手伝ってもらった。

Origin & History

This agent-marking に evolved from the directional particle: just as に indicates the target of an action, in passive and causative constructions it was reinterpreted as the origin or source of the action directed at the subject.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

～は～だ (copula) The most fundamental sentence pattern in Japanese. は marks the topic of the sentence, and だ (or its polite form です) functions as the copula, equivalent to English 'is,' 'am,' or 'are.' This structure is used to identify, describe, or classify the topic. が (subject marker) A particle that marks the grammatical subject of a sentence. が identifies who or what performs an action or exists in a state, and is especially used when presenting new or emphasized information. で (location of action) A particle that indicates the location where an action or event takes place. Unlike に, which marks the location of existence, で is used when something is actively happening at that location. で (means/instrument) A particle that indicates the tool, means, method, or material used to perform an action. It answers the question 'by what means?' or 'with what?' と (exhaustive listing) A particle used to connect nouns in an exhaustive list, meaning 'and.' When using と, the listed items are all there are — nothing is left out. と (reciprocal) A particle that marks the person or entity with whom an action is done together or reciprocally. It indicates a partner in mutual actions such as meeting, talking, playing, or fighting. に (destination) A particle that indicates the destination or goal toward which someone or something moves. It marks the arrival point of directional movement verbs such as 行く, 来る, and 帰る. に (existence location) A particle that indicates the location where someone or something exists. It is used exclusively with existence verbs such as いる (for animate beings) and ある (for inanimate objects).
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