Salsero
Using "de" versus "dewa" Earlier on italki, someone asked about the difference between "ひとりで” and ”ひとりでは”。 The aswer was clear enough, but the responders discussed the grammar ONLY in terms of "hitori." I cannot apply that information to other cases in which I am seeing では。 Basically, I am quite comfortable with various ways to use "de," but often I see "dewa" and I do not know why they are using "dewa" rather than just "de." Can any one explain? Here is an example: タイではこの料理は非常に人気があります。Why not just use "de"?
Nov 21, 2014 11:35 AM
Answers · 8
4
Explaining では all at once is impossible, but I think you might be able to think this way. As for in Thai, this dish is very popular. You know the particle は is the topic maker, don't you? By putting は after で, namely, you can topicalize タイで to draw more listener's attention to タイ as a place where of 非常に人気があります. タイではこの料理は非常に人気があります。 As for in Thai, this dish is very popular. タイでこの料理は非常に人気があります。 This dish is very popular in Thai. この映画を、一人で見るべきではありません。 You shouldn't watch this movie alone. この映画を、一人では見るべきではありません。 As for alone, you shoudn't watch this movie. You can draw more people's attention to the method of alone to wathc the movie than simply saying 一人で. このカフェで、タバコを吸ってはいけません。 You can not smoke at this Cafe. このカフェでは、タバコを吸ってはいけません。 As for at this Cafe, you can not smoke. You can draw more people's attention to Cafe as a place where you can not smoke than simply saying カフェで. At this point, you might wonder if you can put particle は two or three times or perhaps more on a sentence. The answer is actually YES. Does my explanation make a sense for you??
November 22, 2014
2
こんにちは。I think it's a really good question. I never thought about these differences until I read your question. In my opinion, it's a matter of context(文脈) more than grammar. When you use "deha" there may be something else to compare with. For example if you say "AはBでは人気があります。(A is popular in B.)" you may want to imply that A is NOT popular in somewhere else, let's say "C", or that the fact "A is not poplar in C" is already obvious to the listener. It's not wrong to say "AはBで人気があります。" here but in that case it is simply a statement. I'll list up some examples. Example1: 納豆は日本で人気です。 Natto is poplular in Japan. 納豆は日本では人気です。(他の国では人気ではないかもしれない) Natto is popular in Japan(but may not in other countries). Example2: 映画料金はひとり1500円です。 The movie ticket costs 1,500 yen per person. 映画料金はひとりでは1500円です。 The movie ticket costs 1,500 yen per person(but the price changes if you buy a pair ticket or something). Hope this helps.
November 21, 2014
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