それでは

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. それではまた来週らいしゅうの金曜日きんようびに来きます。[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: このオレンジは甘あまくないです。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: 僕ぼくは魚さかなも肉にくも嫌きらいです。B: それでは何なにを食たべるんですか。[A: I don’t like fish or meat. B: In that case, what do you eat?]

A: 今日きょうの午後ごごテニスをしませんか。B: 今日きょうの午後ごごはちょっと都合つごうが悪わるいんですが。A: それでは、明日あしたの午後ごごはどうですか。[A: Shall we play tennis this afternoon? B: This afternoon is a bit inconvenient for me. A: In that case, how about tomorrow afternoon?]

それでは二十分にじゅうぷんぐらい休やすみましょう。[Well then, let’s take a 20 minute break.]

WILD Examples:

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