では

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.
    [As for] In the house, he is quiet. (Otherwise, he may be not 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.
    Cannot park in this place. (Maybe can park in some other place.)
  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?

Etymology 2

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

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)
    • From the Emacs tutorial (English)
      では&& C-v(Cv) &&（次(つぎ)の画(が)面(めん)を見(み)る）をタイプして次(つぎ)の画(が)面(めん)に進(すす)んで下(くだ)さい。（さあ、やってみましょう。コントロールキーを押(お)しながら&& v &&です）
      De wa C-v (tsugi no gamen o miru) o taipu shite tsugi no gamen ni susunde kudasai. (Sā, yattemimashō. Kontorōrukī o oshinagara v desu)
      Now type C-v (View next screen) to move to the next screen. (go ahead, do it by depressing the control key and v together)

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 and 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
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