copula N5 essential casualpolitewritten
で — te-form of だ/です: 'being ~, and ...'
で
Meaning
- is ~ and ... — the te-form of the copula, linking a noun or na-adjective clause to the one that follows
Key sentence
兄は学生で、22歳です。
My older brother is a student and is 22 years old.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun + で | 先生 → 先生で |
| na-adjective | na-adj + で | 静か → 静かで |
When: Replaces だ/です between clauses; the final clause carries the real tense and politeness (で … です / で … だった).
Examples
ここは静かで便利な町だ。
This is a quiet and convenient town.
彼女は医者で、母親でもある。
She is a doctor and also a mother.
今日は休みで、どこにも行かない。
Today is a day off, and I'm not going anywhere.
Easily confused with
Notes
- This で is how だ/です joins clauses, just as a verb's te-form does — it is the noun/na-adjective counterpart of 〜て and 〜くて.
See で in real sentences
Jengo shows で the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar.