Meaning & Usage
✨ Basic Meaning
‘In order to,’ ‘For the purpose of,’ or ‘As for (a specific person/place/target).’
🎯 Primary Function
To indicate a purpose/requirement or to mark a specific topic/target for evaluation.
📋 Grammar Structure
Verb (Dictionary form) + には
Not typically used directly with i-adjectives; usually Noun + には or Verb-Dictionary Form + には.
Not typically used directly with na-adjectives.
Noun/Verb-dictionary form + には (The particle itself does not conjugate into a negative).
🎭 Usage Contexts
Formal Situations
Commonly used in instructions, business explanations, and formal speeches to define requirements.
Informal Situations
Used in daily conversation when giving advice or stating personal opinions regarding specific topics.
Written Language
Frequent in manuals, guidebooks, and essays.
Spoken Language
Very common in spoken Japanese for explaining how to do things.
💡 Common Applications
Expressing Purpose/Requirement
Used when stating a goal and the necessary means or requirements to achieve it. Often followed by words like ‘hitsuyo’ (necessary) or ‘benri’ (convenient).
Example: 日本語が上手になるには、練習が必要です。 (To become good at Japanese, practice is necessary.)
Target/Evaluation
Used to define a specific person or thing as the target of an evaluation or statement.
Example: この靴は、私には少し大きすぎます。 (These shoes are a bit too big for me.)
Contrastive Location
Used to emphasize a specific location, often implying a contrast with other places.
Example: この町には古いお寺がたくさんあります。 (In this town, there are many old temples.)
Frequency
High
Difficulty
JLPT N3
Tag:
Example Sentences
Example #1
JLPTに合格するには、毎日勉強しなければなりません。
Furigana: JLPTに[ごうかく]するには、[まいにち][べんきょう]しなければなりません。
Romaji: JLPT ni gōkaku suru ni wa, mainichi benkyō shinakereba narimasen.
English: To pass the JLPT, you must study every day.
Example #2
東京に行くには、新幹線が一番早いです。
Furigana: [とうきょう]に[い]くには、[しんかんせん]が[いちばん][はや]いです。
Romaji: Tōkyō ni iku ni wa, shinkansen ga ichiban hayai desu.
English: To go to Tokyo, the Shinkansen is the fastest.
Example #3
健康を維持するには、バランスの良い食事が大切だ。
Furigana: [けんこう]を[いじ]するには、バランスの[よ]い[しょくじ]が[たいせつ]だ。
Romaji: Kenkō o iji suru ni wa, baransu no yoi shokuji ga taisetsu da.
English: To maintain health, a balanced diet is important.
Example #4
この本は、子供には少し難しいかもしれません。
Furigana: この[ほん]は、[こども]には[すこ]し[むずか]しいかもしれません。
Romaji: Kono hon wa, kodomo ni wa sukoshi muzukashii kamoshiremasen.
English: This book might be a bit difficult for children.
Example #5
私には彼の言っていることが理解できません。
Furigana: [わたし]には[かれ]の[い]っていることが[りかい]できません。
Romaji: Watashi ni wa kare no itte iru koto ga rikai dekimasen.
English: As for me, I cannot understand what he is saying.
Example #6
海外旅行をするには、パスポートが必要です。
Furigana: [かいがいりょこう]をするには、パスポートが[ひつよう]です。
Romaji: Kaigai ryokō o suru ni wa, pasupōto ga hitsuyō desu.
English: To travel abroad, a passport is necessary.
Example #7
この問題を解決するには、もっと時間が必要です。
Furigana: この[もんだい]を[かいけつ]するには、もっと[じかん]が[ひつよう]です。
Romaji: Kono mondai o kaiketsu suru ni wa, motto jikan ga hitsuyō desu.
English: To solve this problem, more time is needed.
Example #8
富士山に登るには、十分な準備が必要だ。
Furigana: [ふじさん]に[のぼ]るには、[じゅうぶん]な[じゅんび]が[ひつよう]だ。
Romaji: Fujisan ni noboru ni wa, jūbun na junbi ga hitsuyō da.
English: To climb Mt. Fuji, thorough preparation is required.
Example #9
この部屋には窓がありません。
Furigana: この[へや]には[まど]がありません。
Romaji: Kono heya ni wa mado ga arimasen.
English: There are no windows in this room.
Example #10
おいしい料理を作るには、新鮮な材料が欠かせない。
Furigana: おいしい[りょうり]を[つく]るには、[しんせん]な[ざいりょう]が[か]かせない。
Romaji: Oishii ryōri o tsukuru ni wa, shinsen na zairyō ga kakasenai.
English: In order to make delicious food, fresh ingredients are indispensable.
Notes & Nuances
📌 Important Points
Evaluative Predicates
The part following ‘ni wa’ often expresses an evaluation (convenient, difficult, good) or a necessity.
Example: このハサミは、紙を切るには便利です。 (These scissors are convenient for cutting paper.)
⚠️ Common Mistakes
❌ 合格するには、勉強する。
✅ 合格するために、勉強する。 (I study in order to pass.)
‘Ni wa’ is usually followed by a state or necessity (necessary, good, hard), while ‘Tame ni’ is followed by an action (study, work).
🏛️ Cultural Context
Politeness Level: Neutral. Suitable for all politeness levels depending on the end of the sentence.
Social Situations: Frequently used when providing guidance or comparing items/situations.
Regional Variations: Standard across Japan.
🔍 Subtle Differences
には (ni wa) vs. ために (tame ni)
‘Ni wa’ focuses on requirements/evaluations (it is necessary to…). ‘Tame ni’ focuses on the actor’s intention/will (I do this so that…).
When to use: Use ‘ni wa’ with words like ‘hitsuyo’ (necessary) or ‘taihen’ (difficult). Use ‘tame ni’ with action verbs.
📝 Conjugation Notes
‘Ni wa’ is a combination of the particles ‘ni’ (target/location) and ‘wa’ (topic marker). When following a verb, the verb must be in its dictionary form.
🔊 Pronunciation Tips
The ‘wa’ is often slightly emphasized to highlight the topic/goal.
🧠 Memory Tips
Think of ‘ni wa’ as ‘Regarding the goal of [X], [Y] is the case.’ This helps bridge the gap between ‘purpose’ and ‘topic marker’ functions.
Other Grammar
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