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Simple question: にVSへ

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Naguib
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Joined: October 8th, 2009 2:11 am

Simple question: にVSへ

Postby Naguib » October 25th, 2009 9:42 pm

Hello all, I have a dilemma. With the more different resources I use to learn japanese the more variability I'm finding in simple sentence constructions.
Specifically between ni and he. In rosetta stone it says: shigoto ni ikimasu. It uses ni in all contexts of going or coming to a place. But in a couple of the beginner/newbie lessons they say to use he. Also in my Minna no Nihongo book they use へ in all situations with coming and going to a place, whether the verb is in the te or masu form, past, present, or future. But in the class I'm taking we have pretty much always used ni, I didn't even remember the he particle until trying to learn with these other resources.
So any help differentiating the uses of these two particles when used for comings and goings please? Thanks a lot!
hannah

Javizy
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Postby Javizy » October 25th, 2009 11:18 pm

に and へ are interchangeable when speaking about direction. It's easiest to think of it as wherever you can use へ you can use に, rather than the other way round. The exception is in prenominal useage: かれへの手紙 a letter to him, for example.

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Naguib
Been Around a Bit
Posts: 21
Joined: October 8th, 2009 2:11 am

Postby Naguib » October 26th, 2009 1:57 am

so the exception is that when you're using a particle for a person you use へ? but i've seen it like: 私は、彼に手紙を書きます。I write a letter TO him. I've never seen that with へ

QuackingShoe
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Postby QuackingShoe » October 26th, 2009 8:10 am

You can write 彼へ手紙 (in fact letters are addressed to [name]へ), but that's not what he said, it has nothing to do with people. He said prenominal, which means attributive. In other words, You can say 彼に手紙 but you say 彼への手紙. The point is that you don't say 彼にの手紙.

ehimevicky
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Postby ehimevicky » October 30th, 2009 1:44 am

へ and に do have slightly different meanings when used with motion verbs like 行きます and 来ます. Basically に says what your final destination will be. For example, イギリスに行きます, I will go to England. へ has the meaning of going towards a place. For example, イギリスへ行きます, I will go towards England.
For a probably better written and more comprehensive explanation check out Tae Kim's grammar guide, http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/gr ... bparticles

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