Video
Let’s watch this short video for a quick overview.
Source: gokigen japanese official YouTube Channel
Introduction
Want to say things like:
- “I go to school by train”
- “I wrote a letter with a red pen”
- “Let’s speak in Japanese”
In Japanese, the particle で is used to express how or with what tool you do something. It’s called the means or instrument particle, and it’s essential for describing everyday actions.
Let’s learn how to use で to talk about tools, transportation, languages, and more!
1. Function: What Does で Mean?
The particle “で de” has multiple meanings.
For example, it indicates location.
Example: また学校で会いましょう。= See you at school.
It also has another function of indicating the means or instrument used to perform an action.
With で, you can express tools, methods, languages, or transportation means.
The particle で can mean:
- By what means you do something
- With what tool or method
- In what language
- Using what material
Think of it as:
“by / with / using / in”
2. Grammar Structure
[Tool / Method / Language] + で + [Action]
| English | Japanese |
|---|---|
| I will go by train. | 電車で行きます。 |
| I wrote with a pen. | ペンで書きました。 |
| Let’s talk in Japanese. | 日本語で話しましょう。 |
| I usually go shopping by car. | たいてい車で買い物に行きます。 |
3. What Can Come Before で?
🚗 Transportation:
- 車で（by car）
- 電車で（by train）
- 地下鉄で（by subway）
- 飛行機で（by airplane）
- バスで（by bus）
- 船で（by ship）
✏️ Tools or Instruments:
- ペンで（with a pen）
- 箸で（with chopsticks）
🗣️ Languages:
- 英語で話す（speak in English）
- 日本語で説明する（explain in Japanese）
🎨 Materials:
- 木で作りました（I made this with wood）
- 紙で折りました（I folded it with paper）
4. Question Words: How / With What?
When you want to ask “how” or “by what means”, you can simply say なにで（何で）.
However, it is worth remembering another common phrase どうやって meaning “how/by what means”.
- どうやって = how (general)
- 何で（なにで） = by what / with what (literal)
Examples
They are discussing transportation plans for a trip.
どうやって駅までいきますか？
How will you get to the train station?
自転車でいきましょう。
Let’s go by bicycle.
They are talking about daily transportation.
何で買い物にいきますか。
By what means do you go shopping?
たいてい車でいきます。
I usually go by car.
5. Practice Time!
Fill in the blank using で:
- 飛行機___カナダに行きました。
→ 正解：で
= I went to Canada by airplane. - パソコン___日本語を練習します。
→ で
= I practice Japanese with my computer. - 日本語___先生と話します。
→ で
= I talk with my teacher in Japanese. - バス___駅まで行きます。
→ で
= I go to the station by bus. - はし___ご飯を食べます。
→ で
= I eat rice with chopsticks.
6. FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
- QIs で only for tools?
- A
No! で also marks:
- Location of action: 塾で勉強します = I study at a cram school
- Cause: 病気で休みました = I took a break because of illness
- Means/methods: covered in this article
- QWhat’s the difference between で and に?
- A
に = destination or point in time
Example: 遊園地にいきます。= We are going to an amusement park.で = location of action or means/tool
Example: 遊園地でdであそびます。= We will play in an amusement park.
- QCan I use body parts (like 手 or 足) with 「で」 to say “by hand” or “by foot”?
- A
Yes! Body parts can be treated as instruments or means in this structure.
- 足で (ashi de): by foot (though 歩いて – aruite – is more common for “go on foot”)
Example: 足で宝箱を開けました。= He opened the treasure chest with his foot. - 手で (te de): by hand, with hands
Example: 私の手で決着をつけます。= I will settle the matter with my own hands.
- 足で (ashi de): by foot (though 歩いて – aruite – is more common for “go on foot”)
- QHow do I say “I go by walking”? Is it 「歩くで」?
- A
No, you do not use 「歩くで」. To say “to go by walking” or “to go on foot,” you use the て-form of the verb 歩く (aruku – to walk), which is 歩いて (aruite). This structure is an exception among transportation methods and functions as an adverbial phrase meaning “by walking.”
Example: 駅まで歩いて行きます。(Eki made aruite ikimasu.) = I go to the station by walking. You use 「〜で」 for other transportation methods (車で, 電車で, バスで, etc.), but use 「歩いて」 for going on foot.
- QCan I have both a “means” 「で」 and a “location of action” 「で」 in the same sentence?
- A
Yes, you can. Each 「で」 particle will attach to its respective noun to indicate its function in the sentence. The order is relatively flexible but often the location comes before the means, though the reverse is also possible.
- レストランで箸でご飯を食べました。(Resutoran de hashi de gohan o tabemashita.) = I ate rice at the restaurant with chopsticks.
- 図書館でパソコンで勉強します。(Toshokan de pasokon de benkyou shimasu.) = I study at the library using a computer.
7. Conclusion
Now you can:
✅ Use で to say how you do something
✅ Talk about tools, transport, and languages
✅ Ask and answer “how” in natural Japanese
🎯 Try this:
- 飛行機で旅行したことがありますか？
- パソコンで日本語を練習していますか？
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