Why is Ni here?


> 君は学生にすぎない

In Bunpro, this is translated to "You are nothing more than a student."

Can anyone explain why there must be a に after 学生?




The particle に has many roles, and it can mark a subject of comparison. It's
explained as the 11th definition of に in デジタル大辞泉:

> ###
> [に](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E3%81%AB/#:%7E:text=11-,%E6%AF%94%E8%BC%83%E3%83%BB%E5%89%B2%E5%90%88%E3%81%AE%E5%9F%BA%E6%BA%96%E3%82%84%E3%80%81%E6%AF%94%E8%BC%83%E3%81%AE%E5%AF%BE%E8%B1%A1%E3%82%92%E8%A1%A8%E3%81%99%E3%80%82,-%E3%80%8C%E5%90%9B%E2%80%95%E4%BC%BC%E3%81%A6)
>
> **11** 比較・割合の基準や、比較の対象を表す。「君―似ている」「一日―三回服用する」

Examples:

  * AはBに勝る  
A is superior to him

  * AはBに劣る  
B is inferior to him

  * AはBに似ている  
A resembles B

  * AはBに足りる  
A is enough for B

  * 身に余る  
more than one deserves (set phrase)

That being said, ～に過ぎない is a fixed set phrase you have to memorize. It's
always used in this form including the negation. 学生に過ぎる will never mean
"You're more than a student".

Although highly bookish, there is also a pattern ～に過ぎる (e.g., 慎重に過ぎる "to be
too cautious", 身に過ぎる "more than one deserves"). See: [「慎重すぎる」 and 「慎重に過ぎる」 -
is there a difference?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/18870/5010)




The particle に has many roles, and it can mark a subject of comparison. It's
explained as the 11th definition of に in デジタル大辞泉:

> ###
> [に](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E3%81%AB/#:%7E:text=11-,%E6%AF%94%E8%BC%83%E3%83%BB%E5%89%B2%E5%90%88%E3%81%AE%E5%9F%BA%E6%BA%96%E3%82%84%E3%80%81%E6%AF%94%E8%BC%83%E3%81%AE%E5%AF%BE%E8%B1%A1%E3%82%92%E8%A1%A8%E3%81%99%E3%80%82,-%E3%80%8C%E5%90%9B%E2%80%95%E4%BC%BC%E3%81%A6)
>
> **11** 比較・割合の基準や、比較の対象を表す。「君―似ている」「一日―三回服用する」

Examples:

  * AはBに勝る  
A is superior to him

  * AはBに劣る  
B is inferior to him

  * AはBに似ている  
A resembles B

  * AはBに足りる  
A is enough for B

  * 身に余る  
more than one deserves (set phrase)

That being said, ～に過ぎない is a fixed set phrase you have to memorize. It's
always used in this form including the negation. 学生に過ぎる will never mean
"You're more than a student".

Although highly bookish, there is also a pattern ～に過ぎる (e.g., 慎重に過ぎる "to be
too cautious", 身に過ぎる "more than one deserves"). See: [「慎重すぎる」 and 「慎重に過ぎる」 -
is there a difference?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/q/18870/5010)

