Lesson 97: それでも・または・ところで・〜って

N4 · Lesson 97 · 18 min — Even so, or, by the way, I heard: four little helpers for richer conversation

Last lesson you learned けど・それで・それに, and found out that Grandpa's reply letter never arrived. This lesson adds four more phrases that make conversation livelier. Comic first!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use それでも to say "I'll do it anyway": それでも、さがしたいです
• Tell apart または (or) and それとも (or...?)
• Change the topic naturally with ところで
• Understand your friend's 〜って: quoting, "I heard...", "what's...?"

Even so, keep looking

Hana has moved, and Grandpa's reply never arrived. Will Rin give up? (行いき先さき = where someone went)

それでも = "even so, still do it." ところで = "by the way" (change topic). What Mr. Kuma remembered is the reply letter that never arrived. Next lesson, the wooden box in the storeroom gets opened.

Words for this lesson: connecting and reporting

• それでも (soredemo): even so, despite that (still...)
• または (matawa): or (more formal than か)
• それとも (soretomo): or (only in a question with two choices)
• ところで (tokorode): by the way (changing the topic)
• 〜って (-tte): (casual) = と・という: says..., I heard..., what's...?
• 行いき先さき (ikisaki): destination, where someone went
• 引ひっ越こす (hikkosu): to move (to a new home)
• 大阪おおさか (Ōsaka): Osaka
• 手紙てがみ (tegami): letter
• おじいさん (ojīsan): grandpa, grandfather (usually someone else's)
• 店長てんちょう (tenchō): shop manager, owner
• デザート (dezāto): dessert
• 紅茶こうちゃ (kōcha): black tea
• 現金げんきん (genkin): cash
• はらう (harau): to pay
• メール (mēru): email
• 連絡れんらくする (renraku suru): contact

Grammar 1 / 4: それでも

それでも = even so, despite that: you admit the difficulty in the first sentence, but still do it (or get a surprising result) in the second

• それでも = それ + でも: それ points to what the previous sentence said, and でも means "even." Together: "even though that's so." It goes at the start of the second sentence, usually followed by 、 (in short casual speech you can skip it).
• A difficulty first, then do it anyway: The first sentence has something that would normally make you give up: rain, a high price, difficulty, nobody knowing. The second sentence says you do it anyway, or gives a surprising result: たくさん 食たべました。それでも、まだ おなかが すいて います。
• Very close to 〜ても: 雨あめが ふって いても 行いきます (one sentence) ≈ 雨あめが ふって います。それでも、行いきます (two sentences). The difference: 〜ても can also talk about things that haven't happened yet (even if it rains, I'll go). With それでも, the first sentence must be a fact you have already stated. Splitting into two sentences with それでも sounds firmer.
• How is it different from でも?: でも is a general "but" and works for any contrast. それでも is only for "the first thing makes you want to give up, but still...". If you are just comparing two things, use でも.

• 雨あめが ふって います。それでも、行いきます。 — It's raining. Even so, I'm going.
• 日本語にほんごは むずかしいです。それでも、好すきです。 — Japanese is hard. Even so, I like it.
• たくさん 食たべました。それでも、まだ おなかが すいて います。 — I ate a lot. Even so, I'm still hungry.
• 高たかいです。それでも、買かいたいです。 — It's expensive. Even so, I want to buy it.
• だれも 知しりません。それでも、さがしたいです。 — Nobody knows. Even so, I want to look for her.

Grammar 2 / 4: または・それとも

AまたはB = A or B (explaining options, rules); 〜か。それとも〜か。= or? (asking the other person to choose)

• または = or (more formal than か): AまたはB = A or B. The meaning is the same as the AかB you already learned, but more formal. You often see it on notices, rules and instructions: 現金げんきん または カード. In the comic, Kumata's note says 「京都きょうと または 大阪おおさか」, two possibilities written down. It also works in speech when you pass on news you heard or list possible options. For a casual either-is-fine choice with friends, か sounds most natural.
• それとも = or (only in a question with two choices): Ask one question, then add それとも and a second question to make the listener choose: 電車でんしゃで 行いきますか。それとも、バスで 行いきますか。With friends it can be very short: 京都きょうと？ それとも 大阪おおさか？
• How to tell them apart: are you asking the listener?: If you want the listener to answer "which one?" → それとも. If you are just saying there are two possibilities, or both are fine → または.
• Both sides of それとも are questions: The sentence before それとも has か (or a rising tone in casual speech), and the part after it is a question too. You cannot use it in a plain statement. (Later you will also see "〜か、それとも〜か" inside one long sentence. That is still an either/or question.)

• 現金げんきん または カードで はらって ください。 — Please pay by cash or credit card.
• 電話でんわ または メールで 連絡れんらくして ください。 — Please contact us by phone or email.
• コーヒーに しますか。それとも、紅茶こうちゃに しますか。 — Would you like coffee? Or tea?
• 電車でんしゃで 行いきますか。それとも、バスで 行いきますか。 — Will you go by train? Or by bus?
• 京都きょうと？ それとも 大阪おおさか？ — Kyoto? Or Osaka?

Grammar 3 / 4: ところで

ところで = by the way: the last topic is finished, and you move to a new topic

• ところで = by the way: When the last topic is finished and you want to talk about something else, put it at the start of the sentence. It is often used before a new question: ところで、明日あしたは なにを しますか。
• No cause-and-effect link: Taking an umbrella because it rains = だから. A shop is cheap, and also tasty = それに. What follows ところで is a topic that is (or at least sounds) different from before.
• Works in polite and casual speech: To a teacher or customer: ところで、先生せんせいは 明日あした 学校がっこうに 来きますか。To a friend: ところで、明日あしたは なにを する？ It is not rude, but if you use it before the other person has finished, it feels like an interruption.

• ところで、明日あしたは なにを しますか。 — By the way, what are you doing tomorrow?
• 試験しけん、おわったね。ところで、おなかが すかない？ — The exams are over! By the way, aren't you hungry?
• ところで、おじいさんの 名前なまえは なんですか。 — By the way, what's your grandpa's name?
• ところで、この 近ちかくに コンビニは ありますか。 — By the way, is there a convenience store near here?

Grammar 4 / 4: 〜って

〜って = casual と／という: ① quoting someone ② at sentence end, "I heard..." ③ "what is...?" / "this thing called..."

• ① って = と (quoting): 「京都きょうとと 聞きいた」 in casual speech becomes 「京都きょうとって 聞きいた」. It is often followed by 言いう・聞きく・思おもう・書かいて ある: くまたくんは 来こないって 言いって いた。
• ② Sentence-end って = I heard: Put って at the end of a sentence and it means "I heard..." or "he/she says...". It works like the hearsay そうだ, but it is very casual. It follows the plain form: 来こないって、高たかいって. With nouns and な-adjectives, add だ first: 雨あめだって、しずかだって. (In speech だ is sometimes dropped, but as a beginner it is clearest to remember だって.)
• ③ Nって = this thing called N, "what's N?": Use it to bring up a topic or ask "what is that?": 「はなや」って なに？ (What's "はなや"?) You can also use it instead of は to share an impression: くまやの ラーメンって、おいしいね。
• Casual speech only: って is for chatting. When reporting to a teacher, speaking to customers or writing, go back to と・そうです・という.

• 京都きょうとか 大阪おおさかって 聞きいたよ。 — I heard it's Kyoto or Osaka.
• くまたくんは 明日あした 来こないって。 — I heard Kumata isn't coming tomorrow.
• 先生せんせいが 試験しけんは むずかしいって 言いって いた。 — The teacher said the exam is hard.
• 「はなや」って、なに？ — What's "はなや"?
• くまやの ラーメンって、おいしいね。 — The ramen at くまや is so good, isn't it?