VocabularyJLPT N5 · core

で

hepburn de

means, location of action

Part of speech · particle

Pattern visualization

no decomposition available

Examples

バスで学校に行く。
I go to school by bus.
図書館で勉強する。
I study at the library.

Collocations

で (de, means / location of action)バスで (basu de, by bus)日本語で (nihongo de, in Japanese)〇〇で食べる (X de taberu, eat at X)ペンで書く (pen de kaku, write with a pen)

Mnemonic

De (で) is the all-purpose Japanese particle for action stage, means, instrument, material, language, reason, and span. (1) Location of action ("toshokan de benkyou suru" study at the library); (2) means / instrument ("basu de iku" go by bus, "pen de kaku" write with a pen); (3) material ("ki de tsukuru" make of wood); (4) language ("nihongo de hanasu" speak in Japanese); (5) reason ("byouki de yasumu" rest due to illness, "ame de chuushi" cancelled due to rain); (6) limit / group ("zenbu de sen-en" 1000 yen all told, "san-nin de taberu" eat as a party of three); (7) time span ("isshuukan de owaru" finish within a week). De vs ni (ni = static / arrival; de = action stage / means) is a core pitfall. Korean -eseo / -ro maps partially, splitting between Japanese de (action place) and kara (origin). English by / with / in / at / for / during all collapse onto de. De ranks sixth in particle frequency.

Quick check

Which is NOT a function of de?