The Japanese particle へ for direction

The idea

After a destination, へ points towards it with verbs such as 行いきます and 帰かえります; it is pronounced え. に can also mark the destination of movement, but 着つきます normally takes に for the place reached.

Examples

• 明日あした、私わたしは学校がっこうへ行いきます。Tomorrow I will go to school.
• 土曜日どようびにうちへ来きてください。Please come to my home on Saturday.
• 一人ひとりで駅えきへ行いきます。I go to the station alone.
• バスで駅えきへ行いきます。I go to the station by bus.
• 店みせへ行いって、パンを買かいます。I go to the shop and buy bread.
• 来月らいげつ日本にほんへ行いきます。I am going to Japan next month.

Watch out

For the place where an activity happens, use で, as in 図書館としょかんで本ほんを読よみます; へ indicates direction.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the correct answer: 駅えき＿行いきます。（へ／で）

   Show answer or example answer

   へ

   へ — After a destination, へ points towards it with verbs such as 行いきます and 帰かえります; it is pronounced え.

2. Choose the correct answer: 駅えき＿着つきます。（に／を）

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   に

   に — に can also mark the destination of movement, but 着つきます normally takes に for the place reached.

3. Choose the correct answer: 図書館としょかん＿本ほんを読よみます。（で／へ）

   Show answer or example answer

   で

   で — For the place where an activity happens, use で, as in 図書館としょかんで本ほんを読よみます; へ indicates direction.

Use it today

Write two new Japanese sentences using this pattern, then explain your choices and compare them with the examples.