Lesson 12 · about 5 minutes

To, at/by, object marker

ni · de · o

に・で・を

You'll learn three tiny particles — each with one clear job — tied to verbs you already know.

The pattern

に to · で at/by · を object.

RomajiJapaneseReadingMeaning
niににdestination or point in time → to / at (time)
deででplace where an action happens, or means → at / by / with
oををthe thing acted on → object marker

How they differ

One job each. No theory dump — just match the particle to the verb scene:

に = where you're headed, or when

「えき に いきます。」(eki ni ikimasu): I go to the station.

「よじ に きます。」(yoji ni kimasu): I come at 4:00.

で = where you do the action, or how

「カフェ で たべます。」(kafe de tabemasu): I eat at a café.

「バス で いきます。」(basu de ikimasu): I go by bus.

を = the thing you eat, drink, see, buy…

「すし を たべます。」(sushi o tabemasu): I eat sushi.

「コーヒー を のみます。」(koohii o nomimasu): I drink coffee.

You've seen all three already. This lesson locks the jobs so they stop blurring.

Three hooks: に = to/at-time · で = at-place/by · を = the thing. Go/come → に. Act somewhere → で. Eat/drink that → を.

One line: に to · で at/by · を object.

Next: Want a thing: ほしいです (hoshii desu) — and a quick contrast with たいです for verbs.

See it in a sentence

  1. gakkou ni ikimasu

    がっこう に いきます。

    I go to school. (polite)

  2. kuji ni kaerimasu

    くじ に かえります。

    I go home at 9:00. (polite)

  3. uchi de tabemasu

    うち で たべます。

    I eat at home. (polite)

  4. densha de ikimasu

    でんしゃ で いきます。

    I go by train. (polite)

  5. mizu o nomimasu

    みず を のみます。

    I drink water. (polite)

Watch out

に (ni) = destination or time · で (de) = place of action or means 「えき に いきます」(go to the station) vs 「えき で たべます」(eat at the station) を (o) marks the object of たべます / のみます / ください — not the destination

Try it

  1. In your next story, find に, で, or を once. Say which job it has: destination/time, place-of-action/means, or object.

    Check against the lesson cluster and say it out loud.