Why does this phrase use "de" and not "o" "te wo furu hito ni egao de kotae"?


This phrase "te wo furu hito ni egao de kotae" is translated as "Smiling back
to the people who waves their hands"

"te wo furu hito ni" I suppose it's "to the people who waves their hands" ,
kotae is "to respond" and "egao" is "smile". Then why it's "egao de kotae" and
not "egao o kotae" . With "egao de kotae" isnt it trying to say "respond a
smile" or the literal translation would be another? Does this verb simply work
with "de" instead of "o" or is there any other explanation and I'm getting it
all wrong?




笑顔{えがお} is not the object of 答える, instead it's showing the manner in which the
answer was given, "with a smile", hence the use of the particle で. I don't
believe that 答える is a transitive verb in Japanese. You can use it with either
に or と such as

> はいと答えた。 She answered "yes".

or

> 質問に答えた。 She answered the questions.

But I don't believe it's grammatically correct or natural to say

> ** 質問を答えた。




笑顔{えがお} is not the object of 答える, instead it's showing the manner in which the
answer was given, "with a smile", hence the use of the particle で. I don't
believe that 答える is a transitive verb in Japanese. You can use it with either
に or と such as

> はいと答えた。 She answered "yes".

or

> 質問に答えた。 She answered the questions.

But I don't believe it's grammatically correct or natural to say

> ** 質問を答えた。

