In Lesson 10, we learned the expression かいものにいきます ("go shopping"). In this lesson, we will learn to use the same particle に preceded by a coming and going verb in its verb stem form: /Verb-stem + に/. This structure can be combined with a motion verb to express a notion of "come/go somewhere for the purpose of V-ing" or "come/go to V."

The verb stem is a ます form of the verb minus ます. For example, 食(た)べ is the verb stem of 食べます ("eat").

Compare this structure with the following /V1て+ V2/ pattern we learned in Lesson 18.

Caution: Verb stems are not the same as the Vて forms. The first sentence below is ungrammatical.

＊　おひるごはんを食べてにかえりました。[ungrammatical]
→　おひるごはんを食べにかえりました。[correct]

So far, we have learned counters to count money (円), telephone numbers (ばん), people (り／にん), age (つ／さい), hours (じ／じかん) and minutes (ふん), days (にち), months (がつ／かげつ), years (ねん), and so on. To count long cylindrical objects the counter 本 (pronounced as ほん, ぽん, or ぼん) is used. Don't confuse this with the word for "book" also written as 本(ほん).

The counter まい is for thin, flat objects like paper; the counter さつ is for books and other bound objects; the counter こ is for small, solid objects. Note that books (本) is counted by the さつ counter, not the 本 counter.

In Lesson 19, we learned that the counter つ can be used to count age from one to nine. The counter つ can also be used to count objects of indefinite shapes up to nine (9). ("Ten" is とお.)

The particle に can express a similar sense of purpose as the English preposition "for" as in "for him" or "for breakfast" or "for his birthday."

	あさごはんに パンを食べました。
	I ate bread for breakfast.
	先生のたんじょう日(び)のプレゼントに はなを買(か)いました。
	I bought flowers for the teacher's birthday present.
	このセーター、私にはちょっと小さいです。
	This sweater is a little (too) small for me.