What's new

interesting subtlety of で

letslearn

先輩
11 Sep 2013
890
14
33
I know this may be just another sentence for a lot of people but when I first read as I'm a novice.
だから本はいつも駅の近くで買います .
I automatically looked for the object marker, as I saw the verb 買う。
Then I realised it was a statement, just saying that when he is near the station (as he favourite book shop is there) he always buys a book.
There is no real question.
Its probably a learner thing but I like the idea that I understood what was meant.
 
He doesn't say he always buys a book when he is near the station. He says that when he buys a book, it is always near the station. You will notice that the sentence starts with だから, indicating that this sentence explains /clarifies/amplifies something that came before this sentence (and which you haven't shown us, so we feel like we're walking in on the middle of a conversation).

There is a reason for は being there instead of を. It could be for emphasis or for contrast (he buys his books near the station, but not other things). Hard to say with just this fragment you've given us.

I'm afraid you missed a couple of key subtleties....
 
Hi Mike-san, I like your explanation for だから much better than the one given in my text book, which just translates it as 'so, therefore'. I've always preferred explanations of when to use certain expressions rather than direct translations. The げんき textbook sometimes offers the former and sometimes the latter. Would you know any resource I can check for when the book gives direct translations and I'd like a general explanation of its use?
 
Hi Mike-san, I like your explanation for だから much better than the one given in my text book, which just translates it as 'so, therefore'. I've always preferred explanations of when to use certain expressions rather than direct translations. The げんき textbook sometimes offers the former and sometimes the latter. Would you know any resource I can check for when the book gives direct translations and I'd like a general explanation of its use?

A good teacher would be great for that, I think.
 
He doesn't say he always buys a book when he is near the station. He says that when he buys a book, it is always near the station. You will notice that the sentence starts with だから, indicating that this sentence explains /clarifies/amplifies something that came before this sentence (and which you haven't shown us, so we feel like we're walking in on the middle of a conversation).

There is a reason for は being there instead of を. It could be for emphasis or for contrast (he buys his books near the station, but not other things). Hard to say with just this fragment you've given us.

I'm afraid you missed a couple of key subtleties....
Thanks mikesan, your right, its not when he buys books,
I think it is about books in general, he likes to go to that book shop. It is his favourite because it sells many cook books he likes and there are also books from his own country. Here is the full transcript.

私は駅の近くの本屋が好きです。駅の近くの本屋は大きいお店です。外国の本も売っています。私の国のもあります。そして私が好きなりょうりの本も多いです。だから本はいつも駅の近くで買います .
皆さんは好きな本屋がありますか。
 
He lists the merits of that particular bookstore, then says, "So that's why when I buy books I always buy them near the station."

There is no special subtlety involved with the use of で in that sentence. The subtlety, if any, comes from を being replaced by は. Do you see how it makes the sentence different and how the choice is driven by the context? で isn't replacing (can't replace!) を there.
 
I see the difference.
は marks the topic of book quite generally and includes both types he is talking about (Cooking and Own country books) as well as anything elese that is not listed.. (like in English we would say...When it comes to books....) as you said He has already stated the merits of the store.
 
Back
Top Bottom