ISORI

へ

JLPT N5:

direction

Marks the direction someone moves in: "toward X", "to X". It is written へ but read え.

How to form it

  • Put へ after the place with verbs of movement: 東京(とうきょう)へ行(い)きます.
  • へ can take の to describe a noun: 母(はは)への手紙(てがみ) (a letter to my mother). に cannot do this.

Examples

学校(がっこう)へ行(い)きます。

I'm going to school.

電車(でんしゃ)は東京(とうきょう)へ向(む)かっています。

The train is heading for Tokyo.

Notes

  • に and へ are interchangeable for most destinations. へ puts the weight on the direction, and に on arriving.
  • へ is not used for where something is. Say 部屋(へや)にいる.

Common mistakes

  • Reading the particle as "he". It is pronounced え.

Similar meaning

  • にdestination

    Marks the destination itself; usually interchangeable with へ.