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Sentence 1: テーブルに料理を並べました。

Sentence 2: 公園に花が咲いています。

To my understanding, I thought that で should be the right particle for both
sentences instead of に. My rationale is that both sentences show action that
should be conducted AT the table and park respectively (i.e. sentence 2 -
flower blooms IN the park not TO the park) Could anyone explain why に is
preferred instead? Thank you!
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2020-03-23T12:04:22.170
75155
2020-03-24T05:53:05.917
2020-03-23T12:11:03.603
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question
grammar particle-に particle-で
に and で usage help for these two sentences
(I know this is frowned upon, but given the comments I've received from the
original poster, I've reworked my answer.)

To me, replacing both of these "に" with "で" sounds off.

As far as I've heard, "に" is usually taught as indicating the location at
which something exists or the direction something moves in / its destination,
and that you should use で for everything else, but this is an
oversimplification of a very important aspect of what we use "に" for.

"に" can also be used to express **where** the result of some act or action is
realized, i.e. the location of someone or something after having done
something or having something done to it.

In more precise terms, when dealing with locations regardless of tense "に"
expresses 1) static objectives/targets, i.e. where an action winds up or ends.
It also is used to express 2) location when used with verbs of state or
existence.

1) action verbs with a final location

> 彼はもう家に着いているはずだ。

The locative objective/target of the action of arriving is 家, hence "に".

> 荷物はここらへんに置いてもいいですか？

The action of placing something ends at ここらへん, hence we use "に".

> テーブルに料理を並べた。

With a verb like "並べる", in much the same sense as "置く", the focus is on where
the object(s) being handled wind(s) up.

2) stative/locative verbs

> 先生は黒板の前に立っている。

A verb like "to stand" in Japanese is as you mention in your comment a
stative, or change-of-state, verb, i.e. a quote-unquote instantaneous action.
It however can also be thought of a locative verb because the location of the
subject is equally as important as the fact they are standing. This location
is therefore expressed using "に".

> 公園にはとても綺麗な花が咲いている。

With a verb like "咲く", the object blooming changes from a closed to an open
state, making it as well a change-of-state verb. To express the location of
both this state and the change-of-state itself, we use "に".

3) other action verbs

> 最近は毎朝、近くの公園でジョギングするようにしている。

A verb like "to jog" in Japanese is not a stative verb nor is it a locative
verb. The location you finish at is also not integral to the meaning of the
verb. Therefore, when adding a location to the verb, the focus isn't on where
the thing jogging is or where they finish jogging, but where the jogging is
taking place. It is for this reason we use "で" or "を" over "に".
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2020-03-23T16:08:39.197
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2020-03-24T05:53:05.917
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answer