#34 Go to do *purpose* / in order to ┃Japanese Grammar Lesson

Today we’re going to learn how to make a sentence like: – “To go to <place> to do <something> For “in order to do something”, we use the word ため And if you want to say you will do something in order to do something we say:

<plain verb> ため（に）・・・ =  . . . (in order) to <verb>

E.G. Let’s see how to say: “I exercise everyday in order to lose weight”

• “In order to lose weight” = “lose weight” + ために
• To lose weight = 痩やせる
• In order to lose weight = 痩やせるために

So the full sentence:

痩やせるために毎日運動まいにちうんどうする。

 I exercise everyday in order to lose weight.

Another example:

本ほんを読よむためにキンドルを買かった。

I bought a Kindle to read book.

You can also use this construction with nouns:

<Noun> + の + ために I do . . . For <noun>

バレンタインデーに彼かれのためにケーキを作つくった。

On Valentine’s Day, I made a cake for my boyfriend.

Now when we’re talking about going somewhere to do something, you could say:
~ために、(somewhere に) いく
for “I’ll go (to somewhere) in order to ~“

But . . . We have a special form just to say “I’m going to somewhere to do something”. For example:

図書館としょかんに本ほんを借かりに行いく。

I’m going to the library to borrow a book.  

Let’s break this down.
So, first,
“図書館としょかんに“

You always say <somewhere> に when you go to the place.

Next,
“本ほんを借かり（に行いく） 

本ほん means “book/books”
And this “借かり” comes from the verb “借かりる” which means to borrow.

に行いく = “to go to”

So “to go to borrow a book”
= 借かりに行いく

And the construction is basically:

<Somewhere> に verb に行いく

But the verb has to be in the “masu-form” stem.
You conjugate the verb precedingに行いく like you would for the masu-form.

So for 借かりる you get rid of the る and put ます – except for this form, you don’t put the masu.
So just 借かり For other ending verbs (to write, to sing, to play, etc.) you change ‘u’ into ‘I’ and put ます
E.G. 書かく (to write) ―>書かきます   but instead of ます  you put に行いく.

So to say you go somewhere to write:
書かきに行いく
Recap: -Iru/eru ending verbs: <Verb>る　―> に行いく = To go to <verb> For other ending verbs, change ‘u’ into ‘I’ and put に行いく。

What about making this formal? 借かりに行いく
To go borrow Becomes: 借借かりに行いきます
You only change the last verb bit into it’s masu-form, so from 行いく to 行いきます.
Do NOT say 借りますに行きます! <―― That’s wrong and it’s just a mess.
If you want to put something extra, just conjugate the いく bit.

For example, you could say:

<Verb> に　行いきたい Want to go to <verb>

図書館としょかんに本ほんを借かりに行いきたい。
I want to go to the library to borrow a book.

You can also say something like “I have to go to the library to borrow a book”. If you need a refresher on how to say “have to” in Japanese, rewatch this video or check this article.

Quick recap: 行いく (to go) ―> 　行いかなきゃ (have to go)

図書館としょかんに本ほんを借かりに行いかなきゃ。
I have to go to the library to borrow a book.

Instead of “have to go borrow”, you can say “have to go return”

• To return something = something を　返かえす
• To return a book = 本を返かえす
• 本を返す　―>   本を返し　＋　に行く

図書館としょかんに本ほんを返かえしに行いく。
I will go to the library to return a book.

図書館としょかんに本ほんを返かえしに行いかなきゃ。
I have to go to the library to return a book.

Let’s see some examples with other verbs

レストランに晩ばんご飯はんを食たべに行いく。
 I will go to the restaurant to eat dinner.

Formally: レストランに晩ばんご飯はんを食たべに行いきます。

I’m going to an izakaya (Japanese style pub) to drink

居酒屋いざかやに飲のみに行いく。

I’m going to Japan to study Japanese.

日本にほんに日本にほん語ごを勉強べんきょうしに行いく。

I want to go to Japan to study Japanese.

日本にほんに日本にほん語ごを勉強べんきょうしに行い行きたい（です）。

I want to go to Russia to see a ballet.

ロシアにバレエを見みに行いきたい。

I went to Japan to see my friend.

日本にほんに友達ともだちに会あいに行いった。

You can also use the ために construction that I mentioned earlier:

友達ともだちに会あうために、日本にほんに行いきました。

 I went to Japan (in order) to see my friend.

However, this is less common and the only reason you would use this ために construction instead of に行く is if you really want to put emphasis on the purpose of the trip.

I hope this construction was not too difficult.

Basically you just need to say: <Place> に　<verb> ＋　に　行く

If you want to practice this construction, come up with your own sentences and leave them down below :)