で (2)

Particle (Basic ㊦ 106)

A particle which indicates the use of something for doing something.

Equivalent: By; for; from; in; on; using; with

宮本さんは毎日バスで会社へ行く・行きます。: Mr. Miyamoto goes to his company by bus everyday.
日本人は箸でご飯を食べる。: Japanese people eat rice with chopsticks.
私達は日本語で話した。: We talked in Japanese.
私はその映画をテレビで見ました。: I saw the movie on TV.
豆腐は大豆で作ります。: We make toufu from soybeans.
ラリーはこの椅子を十ドルで買った。: Larry bought this chair for ten dollars.
ベッツィーはそのレポートを一日で書いたそうだ。: I heard that Betsy wrote the report in one day.

Notes

1. In general, で2 indicates something which is used when someone or something does something. Typically, it indicates means and instruments as in Key Sentence and Exsamples (a) ~ (c).

2. Since で also indicates reason and cause, the phrase 何で, which consists of なん 'what' and で, is ambiguous: One meaning is 'by means of what (= how)' and the other is 'for what reason (= why)'. Thus, (1) can be interpreted in two ways.

本田さんは何で大阪へ行くんですか。
How/Why is Mr. Honda going to Osaka?

【Related Expression】

で2 can be used instead of the phrase を使って 'by using ~', except the preceding noun refers to a human being. Examples:

[1]

私達はタクシーを使って/で来ました。
We came by taxi.

[2]

私は子供を使って/*で家具を動かした。
Literally: I moved the furniture using my children.