why is に used here

5 comments

1. It generally means something like “to”

   *___ ni naritai* specifically means *want to be ___*

   Ex: マンガかになりたい ([I] want to be a mangaka)

2. に is the goal. It can be a place (大阪に行きたい), it can be someone (友だちに会います), it can be something else you’re (or the thing is) metaphorically going to (しずかになります).

   When you do an action (I close the door), the を is the answer to “you close what?” (ドアを閉めます).

   Next step will be to separate transitive (他動詞) and intransitive (自動詞) verbs. Transitive will use を (ドアを閉めます, I close the door), intransitive will use が (ドアが閉まります, the door is closing).

3. >why is it not “watashi WO makasete”?

   Because you are not the object of the verb. In English you say “leave it to me”. This maps pretty cleanly on to the Japanese equivalent even if you consider it to just mark a destination liek you said.

   “to me” -> わたしに

   “leave it” -> 任せて

   >tsuyoi ni naritai

   This is grammatically incorrect. 強く should be used.

4. In order to change an adjevtive to an adverb, you have to add に instead of な if it’s a な adjective.

   日本語が上手な人 : A person who is good at Japanese
   日本語が上手になりたい。: I want to be good at japanese.

   上手な is an adjective, 上手に id an adverb.

   And if it’s an い adjective, you’re going to change い to く

   あの人はとても速いです。: That person is very fast.
   あの人は速く走っています。: That person is running fast.

   速い is an adjective, 速くis an adverb

5. “〜に” is used for whatever the verb says it’s used; it’s true that many verbs used it for the destination but others use it for the origin, or the object complement, or the subject complement. There’s really not much of a pattern to it but it often has historical reasons.

   For instance “電車に乗る” means “to ride a train”, the reason “〜に” is used here and not “〜を” is because it historically meant “to get on a train” which is already more destination-like.