How to parse 中国人で日本語が話せる方は、お電話ください。


I have a difficulty to parse the following sentence.

> 中国人で日本語が話せる方は、お電話ください。

I just understood the following partial phrases.

  * 中国人で means "with Chinese"
  * 日本語が話せる方 means "person who can speak Japanese"
  * お電話ください means "please telephone"

I have learnt で that functions as

  * バイクで学校へ行きます。I go to school by a motorcycle.
  * 家で食べます。 I eat at home.

But the particle で in question is difficult to understand.

What does the sentence actually mean and what is the usage of で in this case?




You are mixing up **two completely different** 「で's」.

  1. Particle 「で」← 「バイク **で** 行く」、「家 **で** 食べる」, etc.

  2. [連用形]{れんようけい} (continuative form) of the affirmation auxiliary verb 「 **だ** 」. (Auxiliary verbs conjugate just as verbs and adjectives do.)

> 「[中国人]{ちゅうごくじん} **で** [日本語]{にほんご}が[話]{はな}せる[方]{かた}は、お[電話]{でんわ}ください。」

It is the second 「で」 above that is used in this sentence; therefore, 「中国人で」
does not mean "with Chinese".

「中国人 **で** 日本語が話せる」 is a relative clause that modifies the 「方」 meaning "those
who are Chinese **_and_** able to speak Japanese".

Therefore, the 「中国人で」 part can be replaced by 「中国人であり」.

It uses 「中国人 **で** 」 instead of 「中国人 **だ** 」 because the phrase continues to
add more information besides the applicants having to be Chinese.

The sentence means:

> "Those who are Chinese and able to speak Japanese, please call (us)."




You are mixing up **two completely different** 「で's」.

  1. Particle 「で」← 「バイク **で** 行く」、「家 **で** 食べる」, etc.

  2. [連用形]{れんようけい} (continuative form) of the affirmation auxiliary verb 「 **だ** 」. (Auxiliary verbs conjugate just as verbs and adjectives do.)

> 「[中国人]{ちゅうごくじん} **で** [日本語]{にほんご}が[話]{はな}せる[方]{かた}は、お[電話]{でんわ}ください。」

It is the second 「で」 above that is used in this sentence; therefore, 「中国人で」
does not mean "with Chinese".

「中国人 **で** 日本語が話せる」 is a relative clause that modifies the 「方」 meaning "those
who are Chinese **_and_** able to speak Japanese".

Therefore, the 「中国人で」 part can be replaced by 「中国人であり」.

It uses 「中国人 **で** 」 instead of 「中国人 **だ** 」 because the phrase continues to
add more information besides the applicants having to be Chinese.

The sentence means:

> "Those who are Chinese and able to speak Japanese, please call (us)."

