〜に行く: Going Somewhere To Do Something (Purpose)
What it means
This pattern joins an action (the purpose) to a motion verb — 行く (go), 来る (come), or 帰る (return). The に here means "in order to," telling you why the person is moving. So 食べに行く isn't "go and eat" as two random events; it's "go for the purpose of eating."
The action comes from the verb's ます-stem (the part left when you remove ます), and the place you're heading to is marked with へ or に.
ヤッタンは映画を見に行きます。
ヤッタンは えいがを みに いきます。
Yattan is going to watch a movie.
見ます → 見, then 見に行く.
モチは昼ごはんを食べに来ました。
モチは ひるごはんを たべに きました。
Mochi came to eat lunch.
先生は本を返しに行きました。
せんせいは ほんを かえしに いきました。
The teacher went to return a book.
How to form it
Take the ます-stem of the action verb, add に, then a motion verb. Suru-nouns can attach に directly, or you can keep し (the stem of する).
| Action | ます-stem | + に + motion | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 見る (watch) | 見 | 見に行く | go to watch |
| 食べる (eat) | 食べ | 食べに行く | go to eat |
| 買う (buy) | 買い | 買いに来る | come to buy |
| 勉強する (study) | 勉強し | 勉強しに行く | go to study |
| 買い物（する） | — | 買い物に行く | go shopping |
Notice the last two rows: 勉強しに行く uses the し stem, while 買い物に行く drops する entirely and treats 買い物 as a plain noun. Both are correct and common.
Going, coming, and returning
The three motion verbs work the same way — just swap the direction.
ヤッタンは公園へ遊びに行きます。
ヤッタンは こうえんへ あそびに いきます。
Yattan is going to the park to play.
Place + へ marks the destination.
弟が宿題を聞きに来ました。
おとうとが しゅくだいを ききに きました。
My little brother came to ask about the homework.
ヤッタンの弟はごはんを食べに帰ります。
ヤッタンの おとうとは ごはんを たべに かえります。
Yattan's little brother is going home to eat.
帰る = return; the purpose still rides on 〜に.
With suru-nouns
Many "do X" activities are nouns plus する. With these, you can attach に straight to the noun, which feels especially natural.
モチはスーパーへ買い物に行きました。
モチは スーパーへ かいものに いきました。
Mochi went shopping at the supermarket.
ヤッタンは図書館に勉強しに行きます。
ヤッタンは としょかんに べんきょうしに いきます。
Yattan is going to the library to study.
勉強しに行く keeps the し stem; place marked with に.
Common mistakes
- Using the dictionary form before に. It must be the ます-stem: 見に行く (✓), not ×見るに行く. Drop the ます first.
- Marking the action's object with the wrong particle. The thing you act on still takes を: 映画を見に行く. The に belongs to the purpose, not the object.
- Forgetting し with suru-verbs. "Go to study" is 勉強しに行く, not ×勉強に行く. (But the noun 買い物 alone takes に: 買い物に行く.)
- Confusing purpose に with destination に. 学校に行く is "go to school" (place); 食べに行く is "go to eat" (purpose). You can even use both: 学校へ勉強しに行く.
Quick recap
- ます-stem + に + 行く/来る/帰る = go/come/return in order to do something.
- Drop ます from the action verb, then add に: 見ます → 見に行く.
- Suru-nouns: 勉強しに行く, or the noun alone — 買い物に行く.
- The destination takes へ or に; the object of the action keeps を.
- Never use the dictionary form before this に.
Your turn
Choose the correct ます-stem + に + motion verb form.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
Why is it 見に行く and not 見るに行く?
This に attaches to the ます-stem, not the dictionary form. Take 見ます, drop ます to get 見, then add に行く: 見に行く. Using 見る here is the most common beginner mistake.
What particle marks the place I'm going to?
Use へ or に on the destination: 公園へ遊びに行く or 図書館に勉強しに行く. Both へ and に work for the place; the purpose still rides on the separate 〜に.
How do I use this with する verbs like 勉強する?
Keep the し stem: 勉強しに行く ('go to study'). For activities that are also plain nouns, like 買い物, you can drop する entirely: 買い物に行く.
Does the object still take を?
Yes. The thing you act on keeps を even inside this pattern: 映画を見に行く ('go to watch a movie'). The に marks the purpose, not the object.