Japanese is considered one of the most challenging languages to learn on earth. People probably think so because of the kanji writing system and the Japanese grammar.
Yes, Japanese grammar is pretty different from English, but that doesn’t necessarily make learning Japanese difficult. Once you start studying Japanese grammar, you realize everything is in order and makes sense.
This is the case with Japanese prepositions as well. Don’t become discouraged yet! Because in this post, you’ll learn the most commonly used Japanese prepositions and how to use them in sentences.
But first, let’s see what actually is a preposition in linguistic terms.
What Is A Preposition?
A preposition is a word or group of words used right before a noun, pronoun, and noun phrase. They can indicate a direction, time, or location or introduce an object. The most common English prepositions are “in, at, on, of, and to.”
I think prepositions are a kind of assistant words that help us to complete our sentences fully and perfectly.
What Is The Difference Between Prepositions In English And Japanese?
Prepositions in Japanese have the same function as in English; however, they show differences in how they are formed in a sentence. Japanese prepositions often come right after the noun phrase they modify. So they’re like postpositions in English.
The other difference is that a Japanese preposition is usually separated between one or more words, usually the standard Japanese particles.
How To Use Japanese Prepositions In A Sentence?

Unlike English, Japanese has an SOV sentence structure, is generally agglutinative, and usually adds particles at the end of sentences. Due to those reasons, prepositions in Japanese are formed differently than in English.
First, let’s look at the three different ways to use prepositions in Japanese, and then we’ll give you a list of Japanese prepositions where you can find any preposition you need.
I. _の + Preposition
Usually, you add aの (no) before the preposition so that you can connect a noun to a location word. To understand it better, please analyze this example:
- In front of the bank – 学校の前 (Gakkou no mae) [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]学校の前[/Speechword]
If you want to describe where something is located in relation to another thing, you should use the particle は (wa). To understand it better, please analyze this example:
- The library is next to the park. – 図書館は公園のとなりです。(Toshokan wa kouen no tonari desu.)[Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]図書館は公園のとなりです[/Speechword]
II. _と_の + Preposition
If you have to attach a preposition to two different nouns, you can connect them with と (to). The most common example of this situation is 間 (aida)which means ”in between”.
To understand it better, please analyze this example:
- In between the park and the hospital. – 公園と病院の間です (Kouen to byouin no aida desu.)[Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]公園と病院の間です[/Speechword]
III. Without の
It’s possible to use a preposition without の (no). However, you must figure out what the preposition is related to based on the context. Most of the time, it is from the speaker’s perspective.
- (I) saw something interesting to my right. – 右に面白物ものが見。(Migi ni omoshiroi mono ga mieta.)[Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]右に面白物ものが見[/Speechword]
The Ultimate List Of Japanese Prepositions
English | Kanji | Hiragana | Romaji | Pronunciation |
---|---|---|---|---|
about | 約 | やく | yaku | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]約[/Speechword] |
above | 上に | うえに | ue ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]うえに[/Speechword] |
according to | によると | ni yoru to | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]によると[/Speechword] | |
across | 横切って | おこぎって | yokogit te | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]おこぎって[/Speechword] |
after | 後に | あとに | atoni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]あとに[/Speechword] |
against | に対して | に たいし て | ni taishi te | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]に たいし て[/Speechword] |
among | の間に | の あいだ に | no aida ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の あいだ に[/Speechword] |
around | の周りに | の まわり に | no mawari ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の まわり に[/Speechword] |
as | として | toshite | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]として[/Speechword] | |
as far as | 限り | かぎり | kagiri | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]かぎり[/Speechword] |
as well as | だけでなく | dake de naku | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]だけでなく[/Speechword] | |
at | に | ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]に[/Speechword] | |
because of | のために | no tame ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]のために[/Speechword] | |
before | 前 | まえ | mae | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]まえ[/Speechword] |
behind | 後ろに | ろに | ushiro ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]後ろに[/Speechword] |
below | 下 に | したに | shita ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]下 に[/Speechword] |
beside | 横に | よこ に | yoko ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]横に[/Speechword] |
between | の間に | の あいだ に | no aida ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の あいだ に[/Speechword] |
beyond | 越えて | こえ て | koe te | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]こえ て[/Speechword] |
by | によって | niyotte | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]によって[/Speechword] | |
close to | の近くに | の ちかく に | no chikaku ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の ちかく に[/Speechword] |
despite | にもかかわらず | ni mo kakawara zu | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]にもかかわらず[/Speechword] | |
down | 下に | した に | shita ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]した に[/Speechword] |
due to | の ため に | no tame ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の ため に[/Speechword] | |
during | 間に | あいだ に | aida ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]あいだ に[/Speechword] |
except | 除いて | のぞい て | nozoi te | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]のぞい て[/Speechword] |
except for | を除いて | を のぞい て | wo nozoi te | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]を のぞい て[/Speechword] |
for | のために | no tame ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]のために[/Speechword] | |
from | から | kara | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]から[/Speechword] | |
in | 中で | なかで | naka de | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]なかで[/Speechword] |
in addition to | に加えて | に くわえて | ni kuwae te | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]に くわえて[/Speechword] |
in front of | の前に | の まえ に | no mae ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の まえ に[/Speechword] |
in spite of | にもかかわらず | ni mo kakawara zu | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]にもかかわらず[/Speechword] | |
inside | 内部で | ないぶ で | naibu de | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]ないぶ で[/Speechword] |
inside of | の中に | の なかに | no naka ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の なかに[/Speechword] |
instead of | の代わりに | の かわり に | no kawari ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の かわり に[/Speechword] |
into | 中に | なか に | naka ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]なか に[/Speechword] |
near | 近くに | ちかく に | chikaku ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]ちかく に[/Speechword] |
near to | の近くに | の ちかく に | no chikaku ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の ちかく に[/Speechword] |
next | 次の | つぎ の | tsugi no | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]つぎ の[/Speechword] |
next to | の隣に | の となり に | no tonari ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の となり に[/Speechword] |
of | の | no | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の[/Speechword] | |
on | 上に | うえ に | ue ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]うえ に[/Speechword] |
on behalf of | に代わって | に かわって | ni kawat te | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]に かわって[/Speechword] |
opposite | 反対の | はんたい の | hantai no | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]はんたい の[/Speechword] |
out | 外で | そと で | soto de | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]そと で[/Speechword] |
outside | 外側で | そと がわ で | soto gawa de | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]そと がわ で[/Speechword] |
outside of | の外側に | の そと がわ に | no soto gawa ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の そと がわ に[/Speechword] |
over | 上 に | うえ に | ue ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]うえ に[/Speechword] |
per | ごとに | goto ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]ごとに[/Speechword] | |
plus | と | to | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]と[/Speechword] | |
prior to | の前に | の まえ に | no mae ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]の まえ に[/Speechword] |
round | 周りに | まわり に | mawari ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]まわり に[/Speechword] |
since | から | kara | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]から[/Speechword] | |
than | より | yori | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]より[/Speechword] | |
through | まで | made | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]まで[/Speechword] | |
to | に | ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]に[/Speechword] | |
toward | に向かって | に むかって | ni mukat te | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]に むかって[/Speechword] |
under | 下 に | した に | shita ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]した に[/Speechword] |
unlike | とは違って | と は ちがって | to wa chigat te | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]と は ちがって[/Speechword] |
until | まで | made | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]まで[/Speechword] | |
up | 上 に | うえ に | ue ni | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]うえ に[/Speechword] |
with | と | to | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]と[/Speechword] | |
without | なし で | nashi de | [Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]なし で[/Speechword] |
3 Japanese Words That Mean ”Next To”
There are three different words that you can use to say ”next to” in Japanese. Since it may be a little confusing for new Japanese learners, we wanted to shed some light on this issue.
となり (tonari)[Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]となり [/Speechword]
となり implies that something is right next to the object you’re talking about. There are no other objects in between.
よこ (yoko)[Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]よこ[/Speechword]
よこ implies that something is on a horizontal line from the thing you’re talking about. It may sometimes be used instead of となり. However, keep in mind that よこ has other stuff in between.
わき (waki)[Speechword voice=”Japanese Female” isinline]わき[/Speechword]
わき implies that there is a small gap or space in between. For example, it’s usually used for the side of the road.
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