See also: , ح, ج, خ, and Շ

U+3067, で
HIRAGANA LETTER DE
Composition: [U+3066] + ◌゙ [U+3099]

[U+3066]
Hiragana
[U+3068]

Japanese

edit
Stroke order
 

Pronunciation

edit

Etymology 1

edit

The hiragana character (te) with a dakuten ().

Syllable

edit

(de

  1. The hiragana syllable (de). Its equivalent in katakana is (de).
See also
edit

Etymology 2

edit

Originally a contraction of にて (nite), later treated as a conjugation of the copula (da).

Particle

edit

(de

  1. at: indicating a location at which something happens
    ここ(やす)たい。
    Koko de yasumitai.
    I want to rest in here (at this location).
  2. with, by, using: indicating the means by or with which something happens
    (ふで)ペン()
    fudepen de kaku
    to write with a brush pen
    ()(てん)(しゃ)()きましょう。
    Jitensha de ikimashō.
    Let's go by bicycle.
  3. (Can we verify(+) this sense?) in: indicating the containing by something
    (しろ)(みず)()(およ)いでみた
    Shiromizugi de oyoidemita
    I tried to swim in white swimsuit
Alternative forms
edit
  • (formal) にて (nite)
  • (informal, playful) de (de)

Adverb

edit

(de

  1. (informal) indicating the following sentence is a consequence of something previously stated: and then; therefore
    De?
    So what?
    どうする
    De? Dō suru?
    Well? What will you do?
    オリンピックやめませんか?
    De, Orinpikku yamemasen ka?
    Then, should we just give up the Olympic Games?

Verb

edit

(de

  1. is/am/are ... and: the て-form or conjunctive form of (da)
    これ(ほん)とても(おも)(しろ)です。
    Kore wa hon de, totemo omoshiroi desu.
    This is a book, and it is very interesting.

See also

edit

Etymology 3

edit

Considered to be a contraction of (nite), where the ni is the continuative form of the negative auxiliary (zu). In use since Early Middle Japanese,[1] and first attested in The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter of the late 800s.[2]

Suffix

edit

(-de

  1. [from late 800s] (Classical Japanese, archaic) Attaches to the 未然形 (mizenkei, irrealis or incomplete form) of verbs to form the negative conjunctive, equivalent to the modern ないで (-naide) or ずに (-zuni).

Etymology 4

edit

Corrupted from (ze, sentence-ending particle signifying emphasis).

Particle

edit

(de

  1. (dialectal, chiefly Kansai) sentence-ending particle signifying emphasis
    そないな(こと)したらあかん
    Sonai na koto shitara akan de.
    You shouldn't do things like that.

References

edit
  1. ^ Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 (in Japanese), Third edition, Tokyo: Sanseidō, →ISBN
  2. ^ ”, in 日本国語大辞典[1] (in Japanese), concise edition, Tokyo: Shogakukan, 2006