7.3 The Particle で (de) to Indicate Activity Locations
Using the particle で to indicate activity locations
Here are some verbs you can pair with the particle で when mentioning the location of an activity:
読（よ）む (yomu: to read):
| Japanese | Place で | Something を | 読みます。 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romaji | [Place] de | [Something] o | yomi masu. |
| English | I (will) read [Something] at/in/on [Place]. | ||
会（あ）う (au: to meet)
| Japanese | Place で | Someone に | 会います。 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romaji | [Place] de | [Someone] ni | ai masu. |
| English | I (will) meet [Someone] at/in/on [Place]. | ||
食（た）べる (taberu: to eat):
| Japanese | Place で | Something を | 食べます。 |
| Romaji | [Place] de | [Something] o | tabe masu. |
| English | I (will) eat [Something] at/in/on [Place]. | ||
見（み）る: to watch/see/look
| Japanese | Place で | Something を | 見ます。 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romaji | [Place] de | [Something] o | mi masu. |
| English | I (will) watch/see/look at [Something] at/in/on [Place]. | ||
飲（の）む (nomu: to drink):
| Japanese | Place で | Something を | 飲みます。 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romaji | [Place] de | [Something] o | nomi masu. |
| English | I (will) drink [Something] at/in/on [Place]. | ||
使（つか）う (tsukau: to use):
| Japanese | Place で | Something を | 使います。 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romaji | [Place] de | [Something] o | tsukai masu. |
| English | I (will) use [Something] at/in/on [Place]. | ||
The particle で functions differently from the particles に and へ, which are typically used with verbs involving movement to a destination, such as 行（い）く(iku: to go), 来（く）る (kuru: to come), and 帰（かえ）る (kaeru: to return). For further details, see Module 6.5.
Usage in sentences
In the previous module, we learned the sentence pattern: Topic は + Time reference word (に) + Frequency word + Object を + Verb ます. We can effectively incorporate the particle で into this pattern as follows:
| Topic は | Time reference word (に) | Frequency word | Place で | Object を | Verb ます。 |
Here are examples of this sentence pattern, which describes the location where an action takes place:
| Topic は | Time reference word (に) | Frequency word | Place で | Object を | Verb ます。 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 私（わたし）は | 週末（しゅうまつ）(に) | カフェ（かふぇ）で | コーヒー（こおひい）を | 飲みます。 | |
| Watashi wa | shuumatsu (ni) | kafe de | koohii o | nomi masu. | |
| I drink coffee at a/the café on the weekend. | |||||
| Topic は | Time reference word (に) | Frequency word | Place で | Object を | Verb ます。 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 私は | 夜（よる）（に） | いつも | 家（うち）で | 本（ほん）を | 読（よ）みます。 |
| Watashi wa | yoru (ni) | itsumo | uchi de | hon o | yomi masu. |
| I always read a book at home at night. | |||||
NOTE: While frequency words can appear in different positions, you will find this clear, standard pattern to be most helpful at this stage of your learning.
NOTE: The time reference words 週末, 夜, 朝（あさ） and 昼 （ひる）can be followed by the particle に, depending on style, phrasing and personal preferences.
To indicate destinations (i.e. where you/others are going), use に or へ instead of で:
- 図書館（としょかん）に 行（い）きます。(I [will] go to the library)
- NOT: 図書館で行きます。
Why? Because で shows where an action takes place, but ‘going’ isn’t something that happens at, in or on a place.
Compare:
- 図書館に行きます。(I [will] go TO the library)
- 図書館で勉強（べんきょう）します。(I [will] study AT/IN the library)
For more about the destination particles に and へ, see Module 6.6.
