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seikun

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  1. seikun

    Japanese Language Question

     

    I have a doubt I hope someone can clear up for me. In expressions like 野菜でいい, that で, which of its several uses is in action here? Is it perhaps で which indicates a state (from である)? Wild literal translation: being vegetables is fine/OK. 

    1. Show previous comments  2 more
    2. Takadanobabaalien

      Takadanobabaalien

      Since I learned Japanese in Japan it's difficult for me to explain it lol, so I'll just go ahead and copy-paste from a website (the de in your example is different from the example @Peace Heavy mk II gave)

       

       

      1. Assuming that you are invited to a party tomorrow. You are not sure what is the required attire. You can ask the host the following...

      明日のパーティーはジーンズ で いいですか。
      ashita no pa-ti- wa ji-nzu de ii desu ka

      Meaning: Is wearing of jeans alright for the party tomorrow?

       

      2. Your colleague lost his wallet on the way to the office. When he meet you at the office he asks you for help to lend him some money. You are not sure how much you should lend him and ask him...

      50ドル で いいですか。
      50 doru de ii desu ka?

      Meaning: Is 50 dollars alright for you?

       

      So, in your case "yasai de ii", just means vegetables are fine. Or that you're okay with eating veggies. It's very similar to yasai ga ii. Although the nuance is slightly different. 

       

    3. cvltic

      cvltic

      the above comment is correct, but just to expand, i think you can consider this "de" as part of the particle's functions as a limiter.

      for example, you may have seen things like

      一日で終わる (finish in a day[, and no more])
      CD二枚で2000円 (2 CDs will be 2000 yen[, and no more])
      ３０分で行けます ([you] can get [there] in 30 minutes[, and no more])

      similarly, assuming it's a statement and not a question, 野菜でいい is "[i'm] good with vegetables[, and no more]". if it is a question, "are [you] good with vegetables[, and no more]"?

      the nuance of ~でいい contrasts with another common expression, ~でもいい ever so slightly.
      野菜でいい means you truly are ok with vegetables and nothing more.
      野菜でもいい means you're ok with settling for vegetables, but there's an implication that you'd actually rather have something else. if you wanted coke but they only had pepsi, you'd likely get asked ペプシでもいいですか。and not ペプシでいいですか。

    4. seikun

      seikun

      Thanks for all the comments.

       

      I understand the idea in the でいい construction, but I have always wondered what this で means given that most online courses leave out essential information. If I can't understand a word I can't make progress, instead I'm just repeating words and phrases like a robot.

       

      I thought this で was the one that indicates a state as in 詩人で先生です (Being a poet I am a teacher.) which makes sense to me. I mean the uses of で explained above in this expression could belong to this category of particle で (indicates a state).

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