それで

Conjunction (Basic ㊦ 413)

A conjunction to indicate that what is stated in the preceding sentence is the reason or cause for what is stated in the following sentence.

Equivalent: And; because of that; that is why; therefore; so

昨日は風邪を引きました。それで学校を休んだんです。
I had a cold yesterday. That's why I took a day off from school.
ちょっと大阪で用事がありました。それで昨日いなかったんです。
I had some business in Osaka. That's why I wasn't here yesterday.
A:昨日はちょっと大阪で用事がありました。  B:ああ、それでいらっしゃらなかったんですね。
A: Yesterday I had to run an errand in Osaka.  B: Oh, that why you weren't here.
A:昨日小川君とピンポンの試合をしたんだ。  B:それで、先週新しいラケットを買ったんですね。
A: Yesterday I played ping pong with Mr. Ogawa.  B: That's why he bought a new paddle last week.

Notes

【Related Expressions】

I. "Sentence1. それでSentence2" can be rephrased using ので if それで means cause or reason. Note, however, that the ので construction is a single sentence.

(⇨ ので)

Example:

[1]

The difference is that それで combines two sentences much more loosely than ので.

II. "Sentence1. それでSentence2" can be rephrased using だ/ですから, if Sentence1 indicates a reason or a cause for Sentence2.

[2]

The difference between それで and だから is similar to the difference between ので and から. (⇨ から3; ので) Observe the following sentence.

[3]