Can someone please tell me how to use で don’t make a complicated try to make it simple but make sure you include examples I keep getting completely different answers, so I’m very confused
do you have a text book? It should be quite well explained. Its mostly a place particle. Indicating a place
(sorry this laptop I’m on doesn’t have Japanese keyboard)
so e.g “Konbini DE hataraite imasu” – I work AT the supermarket.
That kinda thing
two main uses – “at” a place or “with” an item.
図書館で本を読んだ toshokan-de hon-wo yon-da library-(at) book-(object) read-past (I) read the book at the library
お箸で食べた ohashi-de tabe-ta chopsticks-(with) eat-past (I) ate (it) with chopsticks
>!There is a third common usage of で where it means “to be ___, and…”, but I think that’s probably above your level.!<
Just note that with verbs of motion or situation (so, 行く、いる、ある、etc) the で turns to に. So it would be 図書館**に**いる (I am at the library) or 図書館**に**行く (I go to the library).
However, with 行く you would use で for the mode of transport – think of it as using the item as in the chopsticks example above. So 図書館に車で行く (toshokan-ni kuruma-de iku) is “I go to the library by car”
you get different answers because there’s more than one usage, you can’t oversimplify it
the very very general idea is “within the space of” or “by way of”
but you can’t translate particles directly, you need to learn sentence patterns and internalize them that way
The で particle provides context to a sentence by signifying the means by which, or through which, the verb was accomplished or performed. For a location, it signifies the place which the verb was performed, but it doesn’t indicate directionality like the に particle.
図書館で本を読んだ – I read a book, and the library was the means by which I accomplished this.
お箸で食べた – I ate, and chopsticks were the means by which I accomplished this.
There are multiple uses. Which is why you keep getting different answers.
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In what context?
do you have a text book? It should be quite well explained. Its mostly a place particle. Indicating a place
(sorry this laptop I’m on doesn’t have Japanese keyboard)
so e.g “Konbini DE hataraite imasu” – I work AT the supermarket.
That kinda thing
two main uses – “at” a place or “with” an item.
図書館で本を読んだ
toshokan-de hon-wo yon-da
library-(at) book-(object) read-past
(I) read the book at the library
お箸で食べた
ohashi-de tabe-ta
chopsticks-(with) eat-past
(I) ate (it) with chopsticks
>!There is a third common usage of で where it means “to be ___, and…”, but I think that’s probably above your level.!<
Just note that with verbs of motion or situation (so, 行く、いる、ある、etc) the で turns to に. So it would be 図書館**に**いる (I am at the library) or 図書館**に**行く (I go to the library).
However, with 行く you would use で for the mode of transport – think of it as using the item as in the chopsticks example above. So 図書館に車で行く (toshokan-ni kuruma-de iku) is “I go to the library by car”
you get different answers because there’s more than one usage, you can’t oversimplify it
the very very general idea is “within the space of” or “by way of”
but you can’t translate particles directly, you need to learn sentence patterns and internalize them that way
The で particle provides context to a sentence by signifying the means by which, or through which, the verb was accomplished or performed. For a location, it signifies the place which the verb was performed, but it doesn’t indicate directionality like the に particle.
図書館で本を読んだ – I read a book, and the library was the means by which I accomplished this.
お箸で食べた – I ate, and chopsticks were the means by which I accomplished this.
There are multiple uses. Which is why you keep getting different answers.
They’re likely all valid.