chiimu no shouri ni kanpaishita.

possessive case particle

Breakdown of chiimu no shouri ni kanpaishita.

• に: target particle
• チーム: team
• 勝利しょうり: a victory

Questions & Answers about chiimu no shouri ni kanpaishita.

How do you read this sentence?

It is read:

チーム の しょうり に かんぱいした。
Or without the spaces, as Japanese is normally written:

チームの勝利に乾杯した。

Word readings:

• チーム = ちーむ = team
• 勝利 = しょうり = victory
• 乾杯した = かんぱいした = toasted / made a toast

What does の mean in チームの勝利?

の links two nouns.

Here, チームの勝利 means the team’s victory or the victory of the team.

So:

• チーム = team
• 勝利 = victory
• チームの勝利 = the team’s victory

This use of の is very common in Japanese for possession or association.

Why is に used after 勝利?

In this sentence, に marks the target of the toast.

So 勝利に乾杯した means toasted to the victory.

With 乾杯する, Japanese often uses に to show what someone is drinking or toasting to:

• 成功に乾杯する = toast to success
• 新婚夫婦に乾杯する = toast to the newlyweds
• チームの勝利に乾杯した = toasted to the team’s victory

So this に is not a location marker here. It means something more like to in drink to or toast to.