N4 Degree & Limitation

[Quantifier]で: meaning, usage and examples

[Quantifier]で means: showing a limit.

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 5000円えんで買かえる鞄かばんはありますか。

   Is there a bag I can buy for 5000 yen?

2. 3人にんでこの仕事しごとを終おわらせましょう。

   Let's finish this job, the three of us.

3. この本ほんは一日いちにちで読よみました。

   I read this book in one day.

4. このりんごは三みっつで二に百ひゃく円えんです。

   These apples are 200 yen for three.

When to use it

Put で after a quantity to mark the time, money or people used for something, or its limit: 'in', 'for', 'with'. 一いち時間じかんで終おわります 'It ends in one hour'. 三みっつで五ご百ひゃく円えんです 'Three for 500 yen'. 三人さんにんで行いきます 'We are going as a group of three'. It shows the total the action needs or is limited to.

Nuance

Neutral and very common in shopping, schedules and plans. With time it means 'within' or 'taking': 十分じゅうぶんで着つきます. With people it gives the size of the group doing something together. 一人ひとりで means 'alone'.

Compare

Compare a period + に + frequency: 一週間いっしゅうかんに三回さんかい 'three times a week' is a rate, but 一週間いっしゅうかんで終おわります 'finished within a week' is the time taken. Compare 一いち時間じかんかかります: the same fact, but で puts the focus on finishing within that amount.

Tip: Read で after a number as 'using exactly this much': 三人さんにんで = with three people, 千せん円えんで = for 1,000 yen.