Kanji KumaUnit 2 · Lesson 5 of 17
🏪 Where it happens: で
Place で Verb
で marks where the action happens
You already have に for to (a destination). で (said "de") marks where something happens: eat at a restaurant, buy at the convenience store, study at home.
Same rule as every particle: it comes right after its noun, and the phrase can go anywhere between the subject and the verb.
レストランですしを食べます。
(I) eat sushi at the restaurant.
コンビニでコーヒーを買います。
(I) buy coffee at the convenience store.
うちで日本語を勉強します。
(I) study Japanese at home.
会社で仕事します。
(I) work at the office.
で also means "by" or "in"
The same で marks the means: go by taxi, go by train, speak in Japanese. Think of で as "using".
Watch the difference: 駅に行きます (go to the station) but タクシーで行きます (go by taxi).
タクシーで駅に行きます。
(I) go to the station by taxi.
電車で空港に行きます。
(I) go to the airport by train.
日本語で話します。
(I) speak by Japanese.