では

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Japanese

Etymology 1

Compound of particle で (de, “at, in, on”, locative particle) and は (wa, topic particle; no English equivalent). In this case, the は (wa) is used in its contrastive function, emphasizing that the statement is about the portion preceding the で (de) in contrast to other possibilities.

Particle

では • (de wa) 

  1. at, in a place (as the topic of a statement)
    彼(かれ)は家(いえ)ではおとなしい。
    Kare wa ie de wa otonashii.
    In the house, he is quiet. (Otherwise, he may not be quiet.)
    ここでは駐(ちゅう)車(しゃ)が出(で)来(き)ない。
    Koko de wa chūsha ga dekinai.
    No parking in this place. (Maybe you can park somewhere else.)
  2. indicates means of action
    英(えい)語(ご)ではなんて言(い)うんだったっけ。
    Eigo de wa nante iu n datta kke.
    How do you say it in English again?
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Of で (de, conjunctive adverb) and は (wa, topic particle).

Pronunciation

Conjunction

では • (de wa) 

  1. well, so, well then (used at the start of a sentence as an interjection or conjunction, leading in from the previous statement)

Interjection

では • (de wa) 

  1. used to signal the end of a conversation or message as a whole: that's all for now
    • 2015, Sandra Haefelin, Rinko Nagami, ‘Kogao’ tte Nihon de wa home kotoba nanda: Doitsujin ga odoroku Nihon no ‘nichijo’ [‘Small-face’ is a compliment in Japan? German flummoxed by Japan’s ‘everyday’], page 124:
      ではでは読(どく)者(しゃ)の皆(みな)さま、またお近(ちか)いうちにお会(あ)いしましょう
      De wa de wa dokusha no minasama, mata ochikai uchi ni oai shimashō
      Well then dear readers, until we meet again soon!
    • 2020, Ikuzaki Kazuki, Chikyusan wa reberu appu shimashita, page 295:
      「それでは命(めい)子(こ)さん、またあとで」「うん、ささら、またあとでね」
      “Sore de wa Meiko-san, mata ato de” “Un, sasara, mata ato de ne”
      “Well, Meiko, later” “Yeah, after a while”
Usage notes
  • Can be reduplicated as ではでは (de wa de wa).
Synonyms

References

  1. ^ Kindaichi, Kyōsuke et al., editors (1997), 新明解国語辞典 [Shin Meikai Kokugo Jiten] (in Japanese), Fifth edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  3. ^ NHK Broadcasting Culture Research Institute, editor (1998), NHK日本語発音アクセント辞典 [NHK Japanese Pronunciation Accent Dictionary] (in Japanese), Tokyo: NHK Publishing, Inc., →ISBN
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