When to use で vs に vs nothing at all


There are a lot of post that describe the ambiguous scenarios when to use で vs
に, but there are still many scenarios that are confusing, and sometimes I'm
not sure if I should be using a particle at all.

Here are a list of simple questions where the usage of particles is uncertain.

１．春（に｜で｜NONE）たくさん雨が降る。

２．春（に｜で｜NONE）雨だ。(Any verb influence?)

３．雨の日（に｜で｜NONE）きれいだ。

４．今月の三十一日（に｜で｜NONE）日本に行く。

５．休み（に｜で）日本に行く。

６．一時間（に｜で｜NONE）食べた。

７．日本語（で｜を）おねがいします。(A different question, but I was still curious.)




I'm not good at explaining grammar but I think I can at least tell you which
particles I would use if I were to say your sentences:

> １．春 **にはorは** たくさん雨が降る。

... which is like "In spring/As for spring, we have a lot of rain," since
neither 春に~~ or 春で~~ sounds natural here, although you would use に when you
say:

> 京都では、春 **に** たくさん雨が降る。In Kyoto, it rains a lot in spring.  
>  春 **に** たくさん雨が降るのは、~~~だからだ。It is because ~~~ that it rains a lot in spring.  
>  春 **に** たくさん雨が降ると、夏は~~~。When it rains a lot in spring, ~~~ in summer.  
>  (The に is often left out in daily conversation.)

* * *

> ２．[春雨]{はるさめ}だ。

... which means "It's spring rain", since none of 春に雨だ, 春で雨だ, or [春雨]{はるあめ}だ
sounds right to me.  

* * *

> ３．雨の日 **は** きれいだ。

... which means "Rainy days are beautiful." or "(Something) is beautiful on
rainy days." Neither 雨の日にきれいだ。 or 雨の日できれいだ。 sounds right. You could use 雨の日に
in:  

> 事故は、雨の日 **に** 起こりやすい。Accidents are more likely to occur on rainy days.  
>  雨の日 **に** 学校に行くのは、いやだ。I don't want to go to school on a rainy day.  
>

* * *

> ４．今月の三十一日 **に** 日本に行く。

Basically you can use に for a specific point in time, eg: in/on/at +
year/month/day/time etc. → ～年/月/日/時 **に**. (In daily conversation you'd often
leave out the に, as in 今月の31日、日本に行く。)  

* * *

> ５．休み **に** 日本に行く。

in/during + break; on + holiday etc. → 休み **に**  

* * *

> ６．一時間 **で** 食べた。

in/within + period of time → ～～ **で.** eg:

> ２週間 **で** ひらがなを[覚]{おぼ}えた。I learned hiragana in two weeks.  
>  １年 **で** １００万円[貯]{た}めた。I saved ¥1,000,000 in one year.

* * *

> ７．日本語 **で** おねがいします。

... which is like "In Japanese, please." You'd use を when asking for /
ordering something, like コーヒー **を** ふたつ、おねがいします。/ Two coffee, please. (The を
can be left out in conversation, as in コーヒーふたつ、おねがいします。)  




I'm not good at explaining grammar but I think I can at least tell you which
particles I would use if I were to say your sentences:

> １．春 **にはorは** たくさん雨が降る。

... which is like "In spring/As for spring, we have a lot of rain," since
neither 春に~~ or 春で~~ sounds natural here, although you would use に when you
say:

> 京都では、春 **に** たくさん雨が降る。In Kyoto, it rains a lot in spring.  
>  春 **に** たくさん雨が降るのは、~~~だからだ。It is because ~~~ that it rains a lot in spring.  
>  春 **に** たくさん雨が降ると、夏は~~~。When it rains a lot in spring, ~~~ in summer.  
>  (The に is often left out in daily conversation.)

* * *

> ２．[春雨]{はるさめ}だ。

... which means "It's spring rain", since none of 春に雨だ, 春で雨だ, or [春雨]{はるあめ}だ
sounds right to me.  

* * *

> ３．雨の日 **は** きれいだ。

... which means "Rainy days are beautiful." or "(Something) is beautiful on
rainy days." Neither 雨の日にきれいだ。 or 雨の日できれいだ。 sounds right. You could use 雨の日に
in:  

> 事故は、雨の日 **に** 起こりやすい。Accidents are more likely to occur on rainy days.  
>  雨の日 **に** 学校に行くのは、いやだ。I don't want to go to school on a rainy day.  
>

* * *

> ４．今月の三十一日 **に** 日本に行く。

Basically you can use に for a specific point in time, eg: in/on/at +
year/month/day/time etc. → ～年/月/日/時 **に**. (In daily conversation you'd often
leave out the に, as in 今月の31日、日本に行く。)  

* * *

> ５．休み **に** 日本に行く。

in/during + break; on + holiday etc. → 休み **に**  

* * *

> ６．一時間 **で** 食べた。

in/within + period of time → ～～ **で.** eg:

> ２週間 **で** ひらがなを[覚]{おぼ}えた。I learned hiragana in two weeks.  
>  １年 **で** １００万円[貯]{た}めた。I saved ¥1,000,000 in one year.

* * *

> ７．日本語 **で** おねがいします。

... which is like "In Japanese, please." You'd use を when asking for /
ordering something, like コーヒー **を** ふたつ、おねがいします。/ Two coffee, please. (The を
can be left out in conversation, as in コーヒーふたつ、おねがいします。)  

