と conjunction vs. て-form conjunction?


In the Genki series of textbooks, we are taught that both the て-form of a verb
and the conjunction と can join sentences.

I'm slightly unclear on their semantic differences. Some examples with my best
translations,

> 私はその人と話す **と** 元気になる。 _Whenever I talk with that person, I feel uplifted._
>
> 私はその人と **話して** 元気になる。 _I talk to that person and feel uplifted._

Is this correct? It seems that と makes an assertion that holds very generally,
while て is a statement of something that happened (or will happen) once.

The text lists the next sentence as wrong,

> × 私はその人と話す **と** 喫茶店に行きます。 _Whenever I talk to that person, we go to a
> coffee shop._
>
> 私はその人と **話して** 喫茶店に行きます。 _I talk to that person, and go to a coffee shop._

Is my previous interpretation/translation still accurate here? If so, is it
wrong because the first sentence _probably_ meant to say the second?

(Quick follow-up: can we also use multiple と's in a sentence in this way?)




As for the first group:

>   1. 私はその人と話す **と** 元気になる。Whenever I talk with that person, I feel uplifted.
>   2. 私はその人と話し **て** 元気になる。I talk to that person and feel uplifted.
>

A. 私はその人と話す  
B. 元気になる

In sentence 1, there is a causal relation between A and B, where A is the
cause and B is the result/effect. In my rough and intuitive understanding, A
has the function of a switch or a trigger for B.

In sentence 2, the relationship between A and B can not be expressed with a
short phrase like sentence 1, but A is like a condition or means for B to be
executed smoothly. In my rough and intuitive understanding, A has the function
of helping B.

So my attempt is:

>   1. 私はその人と話す **と** 元気になる。
>     * _Whenever/When I talk with that person, I feel uplifted_.
>     * _I talk with that person, so I feel uplifted_.
>   2. 私はその人と話し **て** 元気になる。
>     * _I feel uplifted by talking with that person_.
>

As for your attempt, sentence 1 is perfect and sentence 2 is somewhat correct.  
Before talking about your attempt for sentence 2, the sentence 2 in Japanese
is not a perfectly good example, because 私はその人と話す is not so appropriate as the
means of 元気になる compared with like 一晩｛ひとばん｝眠｛ねむ｝る, 運動｛うんどう｝する or 薬｛くすり｝を飲｛の｝む.
These are used as:

  * 一晩眠って元気になる。 
  * 運動して元気になる。 
  * 薬を飲んで元気になる。

As for the second group:

>   3. 私はその人と話すと喫茶店に行きます。Whenever I talk to that person, we go to a coffee
> shop.
>   4. 私はその人と話して喫茶店に行きます。I talk to that person, and go to a coffee shop.
>

C: 私はその人と話す  
D: 喫茶店に行きます

For sentence 3 and 4, you reported that sentence 3 is judged to be wrong in
your textbook, but, I think, grammatically there is no problem in it. I also
think sentence 4 is not so naturural, though it is grammatically correct.
However, since the relationship between C and D is not so close, they are just
unnatural.

If you want to describe the contents like sentence 3 or sentence 4 that I said
grammatically correct, it is essential to divide C and D into two separate
sentences, or to add some proper phrase that makes C and D more closely
related.

An example of improving sentence 3:

  * 私はその人と話をすると **何故か** 喫茶店に **行きたくなる** 。  
_Whenever I talk to that person, I feel like going to a coffee shop for some
reason_.

An example of improving sentence 4:

  * 私はその人と話をして **歩くことが体に良いと分かったので、私は歩いて** 喫茶店に行く。  
_I understand walking is good for the body by talking with that person, so I
will walk to a coffee shop_.




As for the first group:

>   1. 私はその人と話す **と** 元気になる。Whenever I talk with that person, I feel uplifted.
>   2. 私はその人と話し **て** 元気になる。I talk to that person and feel uplifted.
>

A. 私はその人と話す  
B. 元気になる

In sentence 1, there is a causal relation between A and B, where A is the
cause and B is the result/effect. In my rough and intuitive understanding, A
has the function of a switch or a trigger for B.

In sentence 2, the relationship between A and B can not be expressed with a
short phrase like sentence 1, but A is like a condition or means for B to be
executed smoothly. In my rough and intuitive understanding, A has the function
of helping B.

So my attempt is:

>   1. 私はその人と話す **と** 元気になる。
>     * _Whenever/When I talk with that person, I feel uplifted_.
>     * _I talk with that person, so I feel uplifted_.
>   2. 私はその人と話し **て** 元気になる。
>     * _I feel uplifted by talking with that person_.
>

As for your attempt, sentence 1 is perfect and sentence 2 is somewhat correct.  
Before talking about your attempt for sentence 2, the sentence 2 in Japanese
is not a perfectly good example, because 私はその人と話す is not so appropriate as the
means of 元気になる compared with like 一晩｛ひとばん｝眠｛ねむ｝る, 運動｛うんどう｝する or 薬｛くすり｝を飲｛の｝む.
These are used as:

  * 一晩眠って元気になる。 
  * 運動して元気になる。 
  * 薬を飲んで元気になる。

As for the second group:

>   3. 私はその人と話すと喫茶店に行きます。Whenever I talk to that person, we go to a coffee
> shop.
>   4. 私はその人と話して喫茶店に行きます。I talk to that person, and go to a coffee shop.
>

C: 私はその人と話す  
D: 喫茶店に行きます

For sentence 3 and 4, you reported that sentence 3 is judged to be wrong in
your textbook, but, I think, grammatically there is no problem in it. I also
think sentence 4 is not so naturural, though it is grammatically correct.
However, since the relationship between C and D is not so close, they are just
unnatural.

If you want to describe the contents like sentence 3 or sentence 4 that I said
grammatically correct, it is essential to divide C and D into two separate
sentences, or to add some proper phrase that makes C and D more closely
related.

An example of improving sentence 3:

  * 私はその人と話をすると **何故か** 喫茶店に **行きたくなる** 。  
_Whenever I talk to that person, I feel like going to a coffee shop for some
reason_.

An example of improving sentence 4:

  * 私はその人と話をして **歩くことが体に良いと分かったので、私は歩いて** 喫茶店に行く。  
_I understand walking is good for the body by talking with that person, so I
will walk to a coffee shop_.

