Grammar JLPT Level N3 - Lesson 4
Structure of ところで:
ところで + (New Topic) Phrase
Details about ところで:
ところで is a conjunction particle that is made up of the noun, ところ 'place', and the case marking particle で. It is used in a similar way to 'by the way', or 'incidentally' in English, but will only be used for introducing new topics, not continuing within the same topic.
ところで will primarily appear at the beginning of a sentence, before making a statement or asking a question about something unrelated.
ところで will primarily appear at the beginning of a sentence, before making a statement or asking a question about something unrelated.
- ところで、昨日の話はどうなった?By the way, what happened to the plan you told me about yesterday?
- ところで、お宅の旦那さんは元気にしていますか。By the way, is your husband doing well?
ところで
Usage Notes for ところで:
When ところで appears after the past tense of a verb as たところで, it carries a different meaning, and will express that something isn't the case, despite (A). This is an advanced grammar point that will be covered at another stage.
Synonyms for ところで:
そういえば
Speaking of which, By the way, Come to think of it
といえば
Speaking of, If it were the case that
Example of ところで
ところで、どこに行くつもりですか。
By the way, where do you plan on going?
ところで、明日のパーティーに何を持って来ますか?
By the way, what are you going to bring to the party tomorrow?
ところで、パソコンの使い方をご存知ですか。
By the way, do you know how to use a computer?
ところで、内本さんはどこ出身?
By the way, where is Uchimoto-san from?
ところで、もう雨はやみましたか?
By the way, has it stopped raining yet?
Grammar same lesson

JLPT Practice
Review after tedious theory lessons.

JLPT Mock Test
Let’s see how far you’ve honed your knowledge!