Hello everyone,
In this lesson we are going to see how to indicate that you are going to or toward a place. Let’s go!
Going to…
When you want to indicate the destination of a journey or travel, you will use the particle に [ni].
学校に行きます。
がっこう に いきます。
[gakkou ni ikimasu.]
/shool//{purpose}//to go//./
/(I’am) going to school./
Going toward…
When you want to indicate the direction toward which you are heading, you will use the particle へ [e].
仕事へ行きます。
しごと へ いきます。
[shigoto e ikimasu.]
/work//{direction}//to go//./
/(I’am) going toward my workplace./
Take care to the pronunciation! As a particle へ shall be pronounced [e] as え, and not [he].
に? へ? What’s the difference?
The difference between に and へ is as subtle as the difference between to and toward.
に indicates the final target, the purpose, of your travel.
On its side へ indicates a more general destination, that may be your precise target or close to it, but may also be a more general direction toward which you will be heading. With へ you are somehow giving more focus on the fact that you will be going toward a certain direction than on the destination itself.
Exercises
Vocabulary:
家 | うち | [uchi] | /home/ |
海 | うみ | [umi] | /sea/ |
公園 | こうえん | [ko~en] | /public park/ |
行く | いく | [iku] | /to go/ |
帰る | かえる | [kaeru] | /to come back/ |
I’am coming back to home.
うち _ かえります。
uchi _ kaerimasu.
公園へ行く。
こうえん へ いく。
[ko~en e iku.]
2. I'm going toward the public park.
うみ に いきます。
umi ni ikimasu.
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