Japanese grammar
What does それで (result / continuation) mean? Japanese grammar N4
それで (result / continuation) means so, therefore; and then?.
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N4 |
|---|---|
| Structure | Sentence A. それで、sentence B. それで？ |
| Romaji | sore de |
| Meaning | so, therefore; and then? |
How to use it
Connecting a stated cause to its natural result, or prompting the speaker to continue their story.
- それで connects a result to the information stated right before it; the speaker adds no judgment or strong intention. It's closer to "therefore" than そして, which merely connects events in sequence.
- When it stands alone as the question それで？, this pattern means "and then what?", inviting the other person to continue telling the story.
Examples
電車が止まりました。それで、会社に遅れました。
The train stopped. As a result, I was late for work.
財布を家に忘れたんです。—それで、どうしましたか。
I left my wallet at home. — So what did you do?
Common mistakes
-
Wrong雨でした。それで、出かけませんか。
Correct雨でした。でも、出かけませんか。
それで leads to a natural result; inviting someone out despite the rain is a contrast, so でも should be used.
Exam tips
- If the latter clause is a direct consequence of the former, それで is appropriate; if you're just connecting two sequential actions, use そして／それから.