それでは Japanese Grammar Lesson
Grammar Type: Conjunction
Essential Meaning: If that’s the case / Well then…
Construction: Sentence 1. それでは Sentence 2.
Notes:
- それでは is a common phrase that simply translates to “If that’s the case” or “Well then…“. It may be informally contracted into それじゃ or further contracted into では or じゃあ.
- The それ in それでは is a demonstrative pronoun that refers to the content that is discussed in the previous sentence or to the general context of the conversation (e.g. to some nonverbal knowledge that is shared between speaker and hearer).
- E.g. それではまた来週の金曜日に来ます。[Well then, I’ll come again next Friday.] In this example, the それ in それでは is referring to the unspoken shared knowledge between the speaker and hearer that the business at hand has finished and will resume next Friday.
Example Sentences:
A: このオレンジは甘くないです。B: それではこれはどう。[A: This orange is not sweet. B: In that case, how about this one?]
A: 僕は魚も肉も嫌いです。B: それでは何を食べるんですか。[A: I don’t like fish or meat. B: In that case, what do you eat?]
A: 今日の午後テニスをしませんか。B: 今日の午後はちょっと都合が悪いんですが。A: それでは、明日の午後はどうですか。[A: Shall we play tennis this afternoon? B: This afternoon is a bit inconvenient for me. A: In that case, how about tomorrow afternoon?]
それでは二十分ぐらい休みましょう。[Well then, let’s take a 20 minute break.]
WILD Examples:
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