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〜で details

in total; as a group of — で on a quantity bundles it into a single unit

昨日きのう三人さんにんでカラオケってきたよ。

kinou, sannin de karaoke itte kita yo.

The three of us went to karaoke yesterday. casual

会計かいけい全部ぜんぶ三千円さんぜんえんになります。

o kaikei, zenbu de sanzen'en ni narimasu.

That comes to three thousand yen in total. neutral

Examples

as a group of — the participants act as one unit of that size, one included (一人[ひとり]で = by oneself)

昨日きのう三人さんにんでカラオケってきたよ。

kinou, sannin de karaoke itte kita yo.

The three of us went to karaoke yesterday. casual

しの片付かたづけは一人ひとりでやりました。

hikkoshi no katazuke wa hitori de yarimashita.

I did the unpacking after the move on my own. neutral

in total — the separate amounts added up and stated as one figure

会計かいけい全部ぜんぶ三千円さんぜんえんになります。

o kaikei, zenbu de sanzen'en ni narimasu.

That comes to three thousand yen in total. neutral

こちらの資料しりょう全部ぜんぶじゅっページございます。

kochira no shiryou wa zenbu de juppeeji gozaimasu.

These materials run to ten pages in all. formal

Formation

Related patterns

Similar

  • Both put a number in adverbial position and they point opposite ways — で bundles the quantity into one acting or totalling unit (三人さんにんける = the three of them split it between them), ずつ hands the same number out per recipient (みっつずつける = three apiece).

Lookalikes

  • Same で, and what precedes it decides the job — a place or a tool noun hands the verb a venue or an instrument (電車でんしゃく), while a quantity word bundles the participants or the sum into one unit, so 三人さんにんく is "the three of us went", never "went by three people".

  • Same numeral, and the particle carries the whole claim — 三人さんにんた says they arrived as a party of three, 三人さんにんた says three came and that was more than the speaker bargained for.