Aug 3

J DOC: Learn Japanese Grammar! Nuances of the Particles に and で

Uncategorized Comments Off on J DOC: Learn Japanese Grammar! Nuances of the Particles に and で

The Japanese Doctor is a recurring feature written by Friend Of JET, Jon Hills, who maintains the blog for Hills Learning (www.hillslearning.com).

Hills Learning is a NY-based language learning services company offering customized and personal Japanese and Chinese language learning options. Their main service is private one on one language lessons in the NYC area.

One of the most difficult parts of learning Japanese is not learning colloquial phrases or expanding vocabulary, but perfecting the usage of small words. Although small words to non-native speakers might seem to be trivial, just look at how important the articles “a, an, and the” are in English. “A girlfriend” vs. “The Girlfriend” means something entirely different in English, although in Japanese there is no direct equivalent to describe this situation. Japanese speakers who are learning English explain to me all the time that they still don’t quite understand when to use “a,” vs. when to use “the.” Conversely, the Japanese particles (が、は、で、に、を、へ) continue to confuse both beginner and advanced students of the Japanese language.

In this entry we’ll try to explain the subtle differences and the correct usage of the articles でand に. Both articles show the location of where something is, or where an action takes place. So if you were going to say…

(CLICK HERE to read the rest of the article)