I can say where and with whom I do something, and ask about it: place ＋ で, person ＋ と, どこで, だれと.
Where and with whom: で and と
Where and with whom: で and と
The two particles of this lesson say where and with whom something happens: where you work, who you have lunch with.
The place where an action happens takes the particle で: かいしゃではたらきます。 It goes after the place and answers the question どこで.
Where someone or something is still takes に, as in the lessons about the home: かいぎしつにいます。 English says “at” or “in” for both; Japanese splits them. The rule is simple: an action — で; only “is there” (あります, います) — に.
With whom takes the particle と: ちちとさんぽをします。 It's the same と that joined nouns (ちちとはは), but here it comes after a person and means “with, together with”.
“Alone, by yourself” is the set word ひとりで.
To ask: どこではたらきますか。 だれとかえりますか。 The question word doesn't move to the front as in English: it stays where the answer would be, and the word order doesn't change.
Common mistakes:
• NOT かいしゃにはたらきます → かいしゃではたらきます: working is an action.
• NOT じむしょでいます → じむしょにいます: います is not an action.
• NOT ちちでさんぽをします → ちちとさんぽをします.
• NOT じょうしとひとりでかえります → either じょうしとかえります or ひとりでかえります.
• NOT だれとあなたはかえりますか → だれとかえりますか.
で or に
An action — で. Only “is, is located” — に.
| What you do — で | Where it is — に |
|---|---|
| えきでコーヒーをかいます。 | えきにやまださんがいます。 |
| いえでばんごはんをたべます。 | いえにねこがいます。 |
Who with
と goes after a person and means “together with”. ひとりで is a set word.
| How to say it | What it means |
|---|---|
| どうりょうと | with a coworker |
| ともだちと | with a friend |
| ひとりで | alone, by yourself |
| だれと | with whom? |
Lesson notes
Where and with whom: で and と
The two particles of this lesson say where and with whom something happens: where you work, who you have lunch with.
The place where an action happens takes the particle で: かいしゃではたらきます。 It goes after the place and answers the question どこで.
Where someone or something is still takes に, as in the lessons about the home: かいぎしつにいます。 English says “at” or “in” for both; Japanese splits them. The rule is simple: an action — で; only “is there” (あります, います) — に.
With whom takes the particle と: ちちとさんぽをします。 It's the same と that joined nouns (ちちとはは), but here it comes after a person and means “with, together with”.
“Alone, by yourself” is the set word ひとりで.
To ask: どこではたらきますか。 だれとかえりますか。 The question word doesn't move to the front as in English: it stays where the answer would be, and the word order doesn't change.
Common mistakes:
• NOT かいしゃにはたらきます → かいしゃではたらきます: working is an action.
• NOT じむしょでいます → じむしょにいます: います is not an action.
• NOT ちちでさんぽをします → ちちとさんぽをします.
• NOT じょうしとひとりでかえります → either じょうしとかえります or ひとりでかえります.
• NOT だれとあなたはかえりますか → だれとかえりますか.