"How do I go to the convenience store?"
Translation:どうやってコンビニまで行きますか？
15 Comments
What are the distinctions between まで and に, へ, and で? I still get a bit muddled with directional particles.
141
まで - marks the destination or the boundry of an action. - コンビニまでいきます I go until I reach the convenience store.
に - marks the location where the subject stays after the action has performed. コンビニにいきます I go and then I stay at the convenience store.
へ - marks the direction of the movement action. コンビニへいきます I go in the direction of the convenience store.
All three sentences are virtually saying the same thing in this case.
Worth noting: I've heard that many native Japanese speakers say へ instead of に all the time when, technically, に is the "correct" particle.
まで is also used in time statements to mean "to/until". Such as "from 9 until 11 o'clock". That's a decent way of remembering MADE, maybe? I walk to/until the destination. I think "from" was から, fyi.
- 11
Can just どう be used instead of どうやって? Also, に instead of まで. Also, どうやって can be alternately placed just before 行きます, correct?
- 141
You are all correct. But I would suggest using どうやって instead of どう which sounds more natural to me.
まで can be used to indicate a spatial as well as a temporal limit, so it's usage and translation as 'to' in this context (referring to a place or destination) is acceptable (e.g. このバスはロンドンまで行きます。- This bus goes to London. / ロンドンまでのきっぷ - a ticket to London).
Does anyone else feel like answering "Try using your feet?" This is a bad English translation if you ask me.
