【に or で】Location Particles

に

Location of existence

に indicates the place where the action is performed and a “continued state” as a result of the action.

電車でんしゃに乗のっています。
/densha ni notteimasu./
I am on a train.

乗る (to get on the train) = the action
電車 (train) = location of existence
乗っている (to be on the train) = continued state

ソファに座すわっています。
/sofa ni suwatte imasu./
I am sitting on the sofa.

座る (to sit on the sofa) = the action
ソファ (sofa) = location of existence
座っている (sitting) = continued state

で

Location of action

で indicates the place where the action is performed.

電車でんしゃで寝ねています。
/densha de neteimasu./
I am sleeping on the train.

寝ている (sleeping) = the action
電車 (train) = where the action is performed

ソファで本ほんを読よんでいます。
/sofa de hon o yonde imasu./
I am reading a book on the sofa.

読んでいる (reading) = the action
ソファ (sofa) = where the action is performed

Attention!

You many have studied the grammar pattern “〜に〜があります.”

This expresses the location of existence as we looked at above.

How about “〜で〜があります“?

For example:

今週こんしゅうの土曜日どようびに多摩川たまがわで花火大会はなびたいかいがあります。
/konshuu no doyoobi ni tamagawa de hanabitaikai ga arimasu./
There is a fireworks display on the Tama River this Saturday.

多摩川 = where the event will take place, marked with で particle

今朝けさ6時じごろ、九州地方きゅうしゅうちほうで地震じしんがありました。
/kesa rokuji goro, kyuushuu chihoo de jishin ga arimashita./
There was an earthquake in the Kyushu region this morning around 6:00.

九州地方 = where the earthquake occured, marked with で particle