to go, to move (towards), to head (towards), to leave (for)
Noun (Place) + に / へ +
This construction is used to express physical movement towards a destination and away from the speaker's current location or viewpoint. The destination is marked by either the particle に or へ.
Noun (Place) + に +
Uses the particle に to focus on the specific point of arrival or destination.
銀行に
I will go to the bank.
Noun (Place) + へ +
Uses the particle へ to focus more on the direction of travel rather than the exact endpoint, though it is often interchangeable with に.
京都へ
I am going to Kyoto.
Unlike English, where you might say 'I am coming to your house', Japanese strictly bases the verb on the speaker's current location. Because you are moving away from where you currently are, you must use
Verb ます stem / Noun (Action) + に +
This construction expresses the purpose of the movement. It explains why the subject is moving away from their current location to go somewhere else.
Verb ます stem + に +
Attaches to the ます stem of a verb to indicate going somewhere to perform that action.
泳ぎに
I am going to swim.
Noun (Action) + に +
Attaches to a noun that represents an action (often a verbal noun) to indicate going somewhere for that activity.
買い物に
I am going shopping.
When using a Noun for this construction, it must be an action noun (such as study, travel, or shopping). You cannot use regular physical objects with this exact structure to mean 'going for an object'; instead, you would need to use a verb, like '買いに