E and ni

[beluga]

I have a question:

Doko e ikimasu ka
Doko ni ikimasu ka

Under what circumstances each of the sentences above is more appropriate?

1st sentence is more like "where are you heading to" and 2nd sentence is more like "where are you going to". However, I think generally, looks like either one means "Where are you going"? Am I right?

 

[Elizabeth]

I don't know, but the way it was taught to me was that ni can have more the sense of going someplace to do something (Kaimono wo shi ni mise ni ikimasu ; Kuokou e/made Musumesan wo mukae ni ikimasu) whereas e is simply going towards (Uchi e kaetta hou ga ii desu). But they are interchangeable in a lot of cases as well...

 

[nata_no]

From my understanding, 'e' is used more for directional wise going to somewhere, eg. eki e ikun

as for 'ni' is used more for existance/doing something there, eg. depato ni kaimono o surun...

 

[Elizabeth]

Originally posted by nata_no
as for 'ni' is used more for existance/doing something there, eg. depato ni kaimono o surun...

This example is not grammatical though.

Tadashiku wa : Where do you usually shop and Where do you usually go to shop (do the shopping)?

1. Taitai doko de kaimono wo shimasuka?
2. Taitai doko ni(e or made) kaimono (shi) ni ikimasuka?

 

[Elizabeth]

In a nontemporal/spatial sense, "e" is also almost always used rather than "ni" before the possessive "no" to indicate direction towards, such as :


"Sore wa Mikisan e no mail desu." (This is an email for Miki)

"Shakai e no houshi wa dare ni demo motomerarete imasu." (Community service is required of everyone)

 

[tobata]

Doko e ikimasu ka
Doko ni ikimasu ka

Under what circumstances each of the sentences above is more appropriate?

As a Japanese speaker myself, I do not make a separation between the sentences. There must be some nuanced difference, though I am not well aware of it. I think which one to use is a matter of choice. The latter sounds more familiar to my ears.