に / へ

The particles に and へ both indicate direction or destination – the place someone or something is moving toward. They are often interchangeable when marking a destination with verbs of motion like いく行く, くる来る, かえる帰る, and あるく歩く.

Both sentences above mean the same thing. However, there is a subtle difference in nuance:

に – arrival / specific destination

に emphasizes the **endpoint or arrival point**. It focuses on *where you end up*. Use に when the specific destination matters. に is the only option with verbs that imply arriving or reaching a point, such as つく着く (to arrive), とどく届く (to reach/be delivered), and はいる入る (to enter).

へ – direction / heading toward

へ emphasizes the **direction of movement** rather than the destination itself. It focuses on *the way you are heading*. It carries a slightly softer or more poetic tone. へ cannot be used with verbs that do not involve directional movement. For example, you cannot say ×椅子へ座る or ×駅へ着く.

Common verbs used with に / へ

With basic motion verbs, both particles work:

Note: When へ is used as a particle, it is pronounced え (e), not へ (he).