Examples
Uchi
de
Nihongo o benkyou shimasu.
home Japanese study
(I) study Japanese (at) home.
Shinkansen
de
Oosaka ni ikimasita.
bullet train Osaka went
(I) went (to) Osaka (by) bullet train.
Waapuro
de
Nihongo no tegami o kakimasita.
word processor Japanese letter wrote
(I) wrote (a) Japanese letter (using) (a) word processor.
If the verb of an utterance is not
primarily concerned with action
then
de
is not used to indicate a location.
ni
is used for this
purpose:
Toukyou
de
hataraite imasu.
Tokyo working
(I) am working (in) Tokyo.
Toukyou
ni
sunde imasu.
Tokyo live
(I) live (in) Tokyo.
To indicate a geographical
area, class, or category in which something
is the largest, smallest, newest, and so forth.
Nihon
de
ichiban ookii
Japan most large
the largest (in) Japan
pasokon
de
ichiban atarashii
personal computer most new
the newest (among) personal computers
To indicate a range of time or a sum of money.
Nihongo o sankagetsu
de
oboemasita.
Japanese three months learned
(I) learned Japanese (in) three months.
Itiman en
de
kaimasita.
10,000 yen bought
(I) bought (it) (for) 10,000 yen.
To indicate a group or number of people.
Hitori
de
Nihongo o oboemasita.
one person Japanese learned
(I) learned Japanese (by) myself. (literally: one person)
Kono sigoto o futari
de
yarimashou
This job two people let's do
Let's (the) two (of us) do this job.
Tsugi no kado
de
tomete kudasai.
next corner stop please
Please stop (the taxi) (at) (the) next corner.
Gakkou
de
Nihongo o benkyou site imasu.
school Japanese studying
(I) (am) studying Japanese (at) school.
Kono kamera wa sanman en
de
kaimasita.
this camera 30,000 yen bought
(I) bought this camera (for) 30,000 yen.
Konpyuuta
de
Nihongo o benkyou site imasu.
computer Japanese studying
(I) (am) studying Japanese (using a) computer.
Takusi
de
ikimasu ka tikatetu
de
ikimasu ka.
taxi go subway go
(Shall we) go (by) taxi (or) go (by) subway?
Sannin
de
eiga o mi ni ikimasita.
three people movie see went
(The) three (of us) went (to) see (a) movie.
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