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Choose between で (action) and に (existence) after a place

The particle で marks where an action happens, unlike に for existence.

JLPTN5
place + で (action) vs place + に (existence)~ de vs ~ ni

[place] + で = doing there / [place] + に = being there

Example Sentence

つぎ次nextのえき駅stationでのりかえ乗り換えtransferです

Transfer at the next station

Word Details →

Both で and に can follow a place, but they mean different things. Use で when something is being done there — the place hosts an action. Use に when something simply exists or stays there, with verbs of being and location. Choosing the wrong one changes the whole feel of the sentence.

Tips and Common Traps

Hana· Key point

Quick test: is something happening at that place? → で. Is something just sitting there? → に.

Maru· Common trap

The trap: 住むすむ (to live) takes に, not で, even though living feels like an activity. It expresses location/residence, so it follows the existence rule: 東京に住むとうきょうにすむ (live in Tokyo).

Build the Sentence

JLPT N5
1 / 5

Eat at the park

Arrange the words in the correct Japanese order:

 で
action place / means
たべる食べる
eat
こうえん公園
park

Related

place + に + いる / あるplace + で (where an action happens)