～に (Purpose に)
Meaning
Indicates the purpose of movement — expresses "in order to verb" or "go to do something].
Usually used with motion verbs like 行く (to go), 来る (to come), or 帰る (to return).
How to Form
| Verb Type | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ichidan (る) | い-stem (Remove る) + に + motion verb | 食べる → 食べに行く → go to eat |
| Godan (う) | い-stem + に + motion verb | 飲む → 飲みに来る → come to drink |
Examples
-
映画を見に行きます。
I’m going to see a movie. -
ラーメンを食べに行こう！
Let’s go eat ramen! -
友達が遊びに来ました。
A friend came to hang out. -
図書館に本を借りに行きます。
I’ll go to the library to borrow a book. -
家にゲームをしに帰ります。
I'm going home to play games.
Notes
- The action before に expresses the goal or purpose of movement.
- Often used with verbs like:
- 行く (to go)
- 来る (to come)
- 帰る (to return)
- Conjugate the motion verb, not the stem verb.
- e.g., 食べに行った (went to eat), 飲みに行きたい (want to go drink)
- Not interchangeable with ～ために, which focuses on "for the sake of" or abstract reasons.