Overall syntax of this sentence


> この部屋はシャワーだけ **で** お風呂がないんですが。  
>  => "This apartment only has a shower but no bathtub"

This would be what I think this sentence says contentwise. I also think it
could be a viable translation, but the way its expressed confuses me.

First, I'm not sure if I understood the overall syntax of the sentence
correctly. It seems to me that 部屋 is the topic here, but I dont think that
it's the subject of the following clause.

> "Concerning the apartment, with the shower only there is no bath."

Second, I'm struggling with the connection of

> シャワーだけ **で**

and

> お風呂がない

Since I assume that the sentence says that there is a shower, but no bathtub,
attaching both nominal phrases (shower and bathtub) to the predicative ない
gives me a headache.

And here, the third unclarity comes into play.

What is this で? Is it the particle I was assuming? If so, are there any
phrases omitted as well? I just can't imagine how shower and bathtub shall be
connected to ない, so there must be an omitted verbal phrase expressing the
existence of shower. Its either that or maybe you can explain how japanese can
express the existence of something with a verb that's actually stating the
non-existence of something ^^




この部屋はシャワーだけだ makes sense at least in conversation. It means something like
"This room is shower-only" by itself. この部屋はシャワーだ (literally "This room is a
shower") sounds weird in isolation, but it still makes sense in the context
where you're talking about which room is equipped with what. It's in the same
vein English speakers occasionally say "I'm coffee" at a restaurant.

So it's simply the two sentences said together: この部屋はシャワーだけだ and この部屋はお風呂がない.
This で is [the te-form of the copula
だ](http://www.japaneseprofessor.com/reference/grammar/conjugations-of-the-
japanese-copula/).

**EDIT:** Sentences like この部屋はシャワーだ and 私はコーヒーだ are sometimes called うなぎ文
("eel sentence"). They may look illogical at first, but are not uncommon in
topic-prominent languages like Japanese.




この部屋はシャワーだけだ makes sense at least in conversation. It means something like
"This room is shower-only" by itself. この部屋はシャワーだ (literally "This room is a
shower") sounds weird in isolation, but it still makes sense in the context
where you're talking about which room is equipped with what. It's in the same
vein English speakers occasionally say "I'm coffee" at a restaurant.

So it's simply the two sentences said together: この部屋はシャワーだけだ and この部屋はお風呂がない.
This で is [the te-form of the copula
だ](http://www.japaneseprofessor.com/reference/grammar/conjugations-of-the-
japanese-copula/).

**EDIT:** Sentences like この部屋はシャワーだ and 私はコーヒーだ are sometimes called うなぎ文
("eel sentence"). They may look illogical at first, but are not uncommon in
topic-prominent languages like Japanese.

