particle N5 common casualpolitewritten
に — particle に marking the agent/source
に
Builds on 〜られる
Meaning
- by / from — marks the person an action comes from: the agent of a passive, or the giver/source with verbs of receiving and learning
Key sentence
先生に褒められた。
I was praised by the teacher.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun (the agent / source) | N に + 受け身・授受の動詞 | 友だちに本をもらう (get a book from a friend) |
Examples
母に怒られた。
I got scolded by my mother.
先輩に日本語を教わった。
I was taught Japanese by my senior.
知らない人に道を聞かれた。
A stranger asked me for directions.
When you can't use it
- With a created or produced thing, the agent of a passive takes によって, not に: この小説は夏目漱石によって書かれた ('this novel was written by Sōseki'), not 〜に書かれた.
Easily confused with
See に in real sentences
Jengo shows に the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.