Grammar Info

N5 Lesson 5: 12/12

~に()To go ~, To go in order to ~

Structure

Verb[stem]+ + ()

Details

  • Part of Speech

    Expression

  • Word Type

    Verb

  • Register

    Standard

About Verb + にいく

() is a grammar construction that is used when someone is going somewhere for the purpose of doing (A). (A) representing the verb that comes before (). As with other uses of , this particle is highlighting an end point or goal of 'going'.

When using this structure, it will be important to remember that (A) will appear in its stem form, before () gets attached to the end.

This grammar point is regularly translated as 'to go in order to (A)'.

If you have already 'gone' somewhere for the purpose of doing something, then you would use '(A) ()', while at the location.

Examples

--:--

    ラーメン()べにいく

    To go eat ramen. (to go in order to eat)

    サッカーしにいく

    To go play soccer. (to go in order to play)

    日本語(にほんご)勉強(べんきょう)しにいきます

    I will go study Japanese. (to go in order to study)

    公園(こうえん)(あそ)びにいった

    I went to play at the park. (to go in order to play)

    (ほん)()いにいきます

    I will go buy a book. (to go in order to buy)

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Verb + にいく – Grammar Discussion

Most Recent Replies (32 in total)

  • Jake

    Jake

    to go in order to

    Structure

    • Verb[stem] + に・行く

    View on Bunpro

  • chonzy

    chonzy

    Hello,
    So, I came across this sentence
    I went to play at the park
    I tried answering as:
    公園へ遊あそび に行 いきました
    but it wasn’t accepted as a correct answer and would only allow
    公園へ遊あそび に行いった
    as the correct answer.

    I don’t get why, since it didn’t specify that the anwer had to be in a casual form or anything
    Sorry if this has been answered before, and many thanks in advanced.

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    Hey and welcome on community forums

    Both answers should be working now

  • chonzy

    chonzy

    wow, that was quick, thanks!

  • Mangor

    Mangor

    I just learned about this in my study session but there’s something I don’t understand. In the sentences there’s often し just before に行く, I’m pretty sure I didn’t see this in previous lessons, what does it mean ?

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    @Mangor

    It is simply a stem of する.

  • Mangor

    Mangor

    I see… I guess it was right under my nose
    Thanks for your help !

  • mickos

    mickos

    Similar to comment above, having the following marked wrong
    切手きってを かいにいきます のが好すき。[買かう]

    Any reason only informal would be allowed?
    切手きってを かいにいく のが好すき。[買かう]

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    Hey

    の is one of [the nominalizers] (https://bunpro.jp/grammar_points/16) of Japanese. Basically, it makes it possible to use verbs as nouns.
    (Similar to English: to swim - swimming, to write - writing)

    Technically の is a (dummy) noun. In Japanese to modify the noun, you need a short form of a verb. The polite form is not used in this role.

    That is basically all.

    I hope it helps

  • cromachina

    cromachina

    I am confused on this one:
    今夜こんや、 のみにいきます 。[飲む]

    Why isnt this のにいきます?

    Does verb[stem] mean only use the stem, in this case, の?

  • mrnoone

    mrnoone

    Hey

    We understand verb[stem] as stem of ます conjugation. So:

    V(る1/る verb/ichidan verb) → 見 → 見ます → 見

    V(る5/う verb with る ending/godan verb with る ending) → 座 → 座ります → 座り

    V(う) → 歌 → 歌います → 歌い

    V(く) → 歩 → 歩きます → 歩き

    V(す) → 話 → 話します → 話し

    V(つ) → 打 → 打ちます → 打ち

    V(ぬ) → 死 → 死にます → 死に

    V(ぶ) → 飛 → 飛びます → 飛び

    V(む) → 休 → 休みます → 休み

    V(ぐ) → 泳 → 泳ぎます → 泳ぎ

    In our case:

    飲む -> 飲みます -> 飲み

    今夜、 のみにいきます

    I hope it makes it a bit more clear,
    Cheers

  • cromachina

    cromachina

    Okay that clears it up for me, thank you.

    The lambda is for lambda calculus

  • DanPhelps88

    DanPhelps88

    Hi, first post here and I’m a little confused about the following sentence in the examples:

    公園へ遊びに行った。

    Why is へ used in this sentence? As I understood it, へ can only really be used to indicate going towards something and must be used with a verb of motion, but in this sentence it is paired with 遊び which is not a verb indicating motion or direction. Should it not be で (at) Instead?

    Appreciate anyone’s help to explain this one, many thanks!

  • Pushindawood

    Pushindawood

    @DanPhelps88 Welcome to the community!

    This is exactly right! However, へ (or に) is used in tandem with the whole phrase あそびにいく to indicate the act of “going to to go play” rather than just “to play” (あそぶ).

    〜にいく pairs with other verbs to give them direction/motion and expresses what you are moving toward (to do). Therefore, it is better to think of Verb + にいく as one phrase, rather than trying to connect particles to only the first part of the phrase.

    I hope this helps. Cheers!

  • jrmr50

    jrmr50

    I keep getting this mixed up with ていく, what’s the difference? Is it the sequence of events?

    しにいく - to go then do
    していく- to do then go

    thanks

  • EbonyMidget

    EbonyMidget

    The difference is that しにいくis describing going somewhere for the purpose of doing something e.g.
    あの店に、食べに行った。“I went to eat at that restaurant”
    Whereas していく describes doing something then going somewhere e.g.
    大丈夫!お弁当を持って行くから。
    It’s okay! Because I will take a lunch (bento) with me
    They’re holding/carrying/possesing the lunch and then going so it just becomes “take” in english

  • Rendon

    Rendon

    Hello, for this question:

    お金かねをわたしにいった。

    Why does 渡す yield 渡しにいった? I do not believe that 渡す needs する. Am I mistaken about that, or is this す → し for a reason I’m forgetting?

  • nekoyama

    nekoyama

    There is no する, it’s just a godan verb in its masu stem form. The さ row is さしすせそ and this form uses the i sound from the row, so 渡す becomes 渡します.

  • Beyond_Sleepy

    Beyond_Sleepy

  • RealitySkewer

    RealitySkewer

    This should be part of the “Details” section for this lesson. As a beginner, I couldn’t understand what I had to do to godan verbs. The “Structure” shown looked like only ichidan verbs were involved with this lesson.

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