Particles and noun-modifiers


This morning I read a sentence translated as follows:

> 私は 部屋{へや} **に かざる物{もの}** を あげました。
>
> I offered her **things to decorate her room**.

It made me think about the following different English sentence, which I would
translate to the same sentence in Japanese:

> **In** her room, I offered her things to decorate.

* * *

There was also this sentence which I thought wasn't as confusing as the
previous one:

> 私は **旅行{りょこう} の 時{とき} 持{も}って行{い}く 物{もの}** を あげました。
>
> I offered her things to bring **when she travels**.

I assumed the absence of `に` between `時{とき}` and `持{も}って行{い}く` was the reason
that it couldn't be translated as follows:

> **While traveling** , I offered her things to bring. _(Doesn't make much
> sense, but it's just for the example)_

* * *

I feel that I missed something. Those examples are actually easy to
understand, but **I fear that I could misunderstand more complex sentences**.

  * For the first example, how do I know the first translation is the right one, and not the other one?

  * How can I differentiate between `the time or place of the action`, and `what's just a part of the noun-modifier`?




Note this important general difference between で and に when used to specify
location:

  * で indicates location, except for location of existence. 

    * eg: デパートで働いています。
  * に indicates the location where someone or something exists.

    * eg: その本は図書館にあります。 (ある is a verb of existence)

In your first example sentence, the verb is あげる. This is not a verb of
existence, so you wouldn't use に to specify the location. Therefore, your
second interpretation of the sentence is not possible.

In the second example sentence, the use of に after 時 is optional. Whether に is
present or not does not change the meaning of the sentence. Whether it means
"when she travels" or "when I travel" or "when we travel" (etc) is ambiguous,
you just have to figure it out from context.




Note this important general difference between で and に when used to specify
location:

  * で indicates location, except for location of existence. 

    * eg: デパートで働いています。
  * に indicates the location where someone or something exists.

    * eg: その本は図書館にあります。 (ある is a verb of existence)

In your first example sentence, the verb is あげる. This is not a verb of
existence, so you wouldn't use に to specify the location. Therefore, your
second interpretation of the sentence is not possible.

In the second example sentence, the use of に after 時 is optional. Whether に is
present or not does not change the meaning of the sentence. Whether it means
"when she travels" or "when I travel" or "when we travel" (etc) is ambiguous,
you just have to figure it out from context.

