Hello everyone! This is your Japanese teacher, Norie.
Today, let’s talk about the use of 「〜にいく」, a grammar point that confuses many learners. Specifically, we’ll look at why the 「に」 in 「旅行にいく」 (ryokō ni iku) is different from the 「に」 that indicates a place.
「に」 Isn’t Just for Places: The 「に」 for a “Purpose”
The Japanese particle 「に」 has several uses besides just indicating a location. One of them is to express a purpose.
The word 「旅行」 (ryokō) means “a trip” or “travel.” It’s not a place, right? So why do we say 「旅行にいく」? This is because we are thinking of 「旅行」 as the purpose for going somewhere.
「旅行にいく」 = to go for the purpose of traveling
It’s similar to the English “for” in “go for a trip.”
This “purpose” use of 「に」 is also found in other phrases.
- 買い物にいく (kaimono ni iku) – go shopping
- 遊びにいく (asobi ni iku) – go to play
- 仕事にくる (shigoto ni kuru) – come for work
In all these cases, 「に」 is used to indicate that you are going (or coming) for a specific activity.
Let’s Compare the Two 「に」
Comparing the “purpose” 「に」 and the “place” 「に」 can help you see the difference more clearly.
| The 「に」 for Purpose (for the purpose of) | The 「に」 for Place (to a place) |
| 旅行にいく (go for a trip) | 日本にいく (go to Japan) |
| 買い物にいく (go for shopping) | コンビニにいく (go to a convenience store) |
| 映画を観にいく (go to watch a movie) | 映画館にいく (go to a movie theater) |
Even with the same verb 「いく」 (iku), the meaning changes significantly depending on the word that comes before 「に」.
Example Sentences
Let’s look at some examples using 「旅行にいく」 and 「旅行にくる」.
- 週末に家族と旅行にいきます。（しゅうまつにかぞくとりょこうにいきます。）(I’ll go on a trip with my family on the weekend.)
- 友だちが来月、日本に旅行にきます。(ともだちがらいげつ、にほんにりょこうにきます。） (My friend will come on a trip to Japan next month.)
- 卒業したら、ヨーロッパに旅行にいくのが夢です。（そつぎょうしたら、ヨーロッパにりょこうにいくのがゆめです。） (My dream is to go on a trip to Europe after I graduate.)
- 遠い国から、日本に旅行にきてくれてありがとう。（とおいくにからにほんにりょこうにきてくれてありがとう。 (Thank you for coming on a trip to Japan from a distant country.)
Summary
The particle 「に」 in 「旅行にいく・くる」 means that you are going or coming somewhere for the purpose of the activity 「旅行」 (travel).
Japanese particles can be a little tricky, but understanding each of their uses will make learning more fun.
If you have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment!