JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N5 grammar · Chapter 4

へ

Toward a place or direction

You’ll be able to express direction toward a place and see how it differs from に.

Illustration of the scene described by I’m going to the convenience store in the morning.
Read it first

朝あさ、コンビニへ行いきます。

asa, konbini e ikimasu.

What do you think this sentence means?

I’m going to the convenience store in the morning.

Why it means that

Show movement toward a direction or place

Use へ with movement verbs to show the direction someone is heading. As a particle, へ is pronounced え.

Example

東京とうきょうへ行いきます。

toukyou e ikimasu.

I am going to Tokyo.

How it is built

Place + へ + movement verb

Put へ after the destination or direction. With common movement verbs, it often overlaps with に, while へ puts a little more focus on the direction of movement.

Place+へ+Movement verb
Examples

学校がっこうへ行いきます。

gakkou e ikimasu.

I go to school.

日本にほんへ来きました。

nihon e kimashita.

I came to Japan.

うちへ帰かえります。

uchi e kaerimasu.

I am going home.

Compare

に vs へ for a destination

With a movement verb both are natural and often interchangeable. に points at the place as the goal reached, へ at the direction travelled.

  • へ, toward

    学校がっこうへ行いきます。

    gakkou e ikimasu.

    I go to school.

    Emphasizes heading in the direction of the school.

  • に, to

    学校がっこうに行いきます。

    gakkou ni ikimasu.

    I go to school.

    Emphasizes the school as the final destination.

Examples

午後ごご、郵便ゆうびん局きょくへ行きいきます。

gogo, yuubinkyoku e ikimasu.

I will go to the post office in the afternoon.

金曜日きんようびに海うみへ行きいきます。

kin'youbi ni umi e ikimasu.

I will go to the beach on Friday.

十じゅう時じに空港くうこうへ行きいきます。

juuji ni kuukou e ikimasu.

I will go to the airport at ten.

12 more examples in the grammar path — free for a limited time.