ところで (tokoro de)
ところで — “by the way”
Pattern
-
ところで、〜（質問・新しい話題）ところで + new topic or question
Meaning and use
ところで signals a change of subject. After a conversation has finished or slowed down, you can bring up what you really wanted to say: ところで、最近忙しいですか. It marks a clear break from the previous topic.
Position
It always comes at the start of a sentence, followed by a comma. What follows is something not connected, or only loosely connected, with what came before.
Do not confuse with ところが / ところで (conditional)
ところで after a verb ta-form (例: 謝ったところで) is a different pattern meaning “even if.” The topic-changing ところで stands alone at the start of the sentence.
Examples
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ところで、最近（さいきん）忙（いそが）しいですか。
Tokoro de, saikin isogashii desu ka.
By the way, have you been busy lately?
-
ところで、あの本（ほん）はもう読（よ）み終（お）わりましたか。
Tokoro de, ano hon wa mō yomiowarimashita ka.
By the way, have you finished reading that book yet?
-
ところで、週末（しゅうまつ）の予定（よてい）はもう決（き）まりましたか。
Tokoro de, shūmatsu no yotei wa mō kimarimashita ka.
By the way, have your weekend plans been decided yet?
Common mistakes
- Do not use it to continue the same topic. For adding to the same topic, use それに or また.
- Do not confuse it with ところが (however) or the ta-form + ところで (even if).
More grammar points
- ばよかった ～ばよかった — I should have ～, if only I had ～
- ばかりで ～ばかりで — only ～ (and nothing else, with a negative feeling)
- ばかりでなく ～ばかりでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけでなく ～だけでなく — not only ～ but also ～
- だけど だけど — but, however (casual)
- ふりをする ～ふりをする — pretending to ～
- 一方（いっぽう）だ ～一方だ — keeps ～ing in one direction
- 一体（いったい） 一体 — what on earth ～ (emphasizing a question)
- じゃない ～じゃない — isn't it ～! (surprise or confirmation)
- か何（なに）か ～か何か — ～ or something
- 代（か）わりに ～代わりに — instead of ～, in return for ～
- 結局（けっきょく） 結局 — in the end, after all
- きり ～きり — only ～; ever since ～
- っけ ～っけ — was it ～? (recalling)
- ことになっている ～ことになっている — it is the rule or plan that ～
- ことは～が ～ことは～が — it is true that ～, but ～
- くせに ～くせに — even though ～ (with reproach)
- も～ば～も A も ～ば B も ～ — both A and B
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