Telling the Particles で (de) and に (ni) Apart

Telling the particles で (de) and に (ni) apart

About particles in Japanese:

• Particles matter a great deal in Japanese; they are the “links” that join words together, helping words connect, complete and support… one another to form a phrase, a sentence or a whole clear paragraph. They carry information to the listener more precisely and stop the meaning of a sentence being misunderstood….
• A particle always stands after a noun, “noun + particle”, so when you drop the noun you must drop the particle with it.
• In speech and everyday conversation some particles can be dropped (and the listener still takes the meaning), but others cannot, because dropping them can make the sentence wrong, hard to follow or meaningless.
• A particle is not a WORD and so has no meaning of its own, but to make it easier for learners to grasp and remember, we can give a “rough translation” based on how the particle is used and what it conveys. For instance: で can be rendered as at/in/by, に as at, の as of, は as is ….
• Many particles are close in meaning and use, and in some cases can replace one another. So we need to be able to sort them out and pick the right one, in order to convey exactly what we mean and what we want to say to the other person.

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Let's look at these similar particles together and tell their meanings and uses apart.

Telling the particles 「に」 and 「で」 apart 

「に」＆「で」as we know, these have many uses and meanings depending on the noun before them and the content of the sentence. Among those uses and meanings, the two particles have one thing closely in common when they follow a noun of place:

                   N(place) + に & N(place) + で

Here both 「に」 and 「で」 can roughly be rendered as “in” or “at”  but the two particles mean different things.

⇒ N(place) + で

Expresses the place where an action or event is carried out or happens.

1. 大学で 日本語を勉強しています。 I study Japanese at university.
2. この写真は 東京タワーで撮った写真です。 This photograph is one I took at Tokyo Tower.
3. 昨日 大阪で 大きい地震が あったそうです。 They say there was (there happened) a big earthquake in Osaka yesterday. (あった → あります here means to happen, to be held…)

⇒ N(place) + に 

※ Expresses the place where a thing or a state exists.

1. 田中さんは 会議室に います。 Mr Tanaka is in the meeting room.
2. 机の上に 本が あります。 There is a book on the desk.
3. 私は 東京に 住んでいます。 I live in Tokyo.

※ Expresses the point of contact or where something meets something else.

1. この紙に 名前を書いてください。 Please write your name on this piece of paper.
2. 亀の頭に さわって、それから 良いことを お祈りしましょう。 Let's stroke the tortoise's head and then pray for good things.
3. 荷物は ここに 置いてもいいですか。 May I put my luggage here?

※ Expresses the place where the result of an action remains.

1. 壁に 写真がかけてあります。 There is a photograph hanging on the wall.
2. 黒板に 「日本語」と書いてあります。 The word 「日本語」 is written on the board.

Thanks to the CÙNG HỌC TIẾNG NHẬT page for sharing.