How are「〇〇の中で」and「〇〇で」different?


# 日本語

>   1. そのチームのメンバー **の中** で誰が一番好き？
>
>   2. そのチームのメンバーで誰が一番好き？
>
>

上の文（の中？）で、どちらが正しいですか。論理的には「の中」を入れる方が無難だと思うのですけど、時々入っていない文も見る気がして、文脈からすると同じように解釈してもいいと思えるのですが、本当に同じですか。ではなければ、どこで違いますか。

よろしくお願いします。

# English

>   1. そのチームのメンバー **の中** で誰が一番好き？
>
>   2. そのチームのメンバーで誰が一番好き？
>
>

Which of the two sentences above is correct? Logically, I think that adding
「の中」 is the safer option, but I also sometimes see sentences without it which
seem to mean the same thing from context. Are they really the same? If not,
how are they different?




`～で` and `～の中で` are the same.

When used to compare something within an explicitly stated group, as in your
sentences, the meaning is identical and they can be used interchangeably. (See
below for exceptional cases where the group is not explicitly stated). `～で` in
this case is just an abbreviation for `～の中で`. According to Hamano & Tsujioka
(2011), " _by using the spatial word 中 (inside) in an abstract sense, you can
specify the group in which you are making the comparison_ ". Their examples
show the use of `の中` as optional. For example:

> クラス(の中{なか})で鈴木{すずき}さんが一番{いちばん}英語{えいご}が上手{じょうず}です。  
>  Suzuki is the best in the class at English.

There is at least one exceptional circumstance where you should use the full
form の中で and that is when the group to be compared is referred to indirectly
(with a demonstrative pronoun), as below:

> この中{なか}で、これが一番{いちばん}いいです。  
>  Among these, this is the best.

Personally, I feel that `～の中で` might possibly be chosen over `～で` in a formal
written style, since the 'full forms' tend to be preferred. But that is
debatable and I couldn't offer any evidence to support that. In any case, you
can be confident that you can use either variation of it without worrying
about making a mistake.




`～で` and `～の中で` are the same.

When used to compare something within an explicitly stated group, as in your
sentences, the meaning is identical and they can be used interchangeably. (See
below for exceptional cases where the group is not explicitly stated). `～で` in
this case is just an abbreviation for `～の中で`. According to Hamano & Tsujioka
(2011), " _by using the spatial word 中 (inside) in an abstract sense, you can
specify the group in which you are making the comparison_ ". Their examples
show the use of `の中` as optional. For example:

> クラス(の中{なか})で鈴木{すずき}さんが一番{いちばん}英語{えいご}が上手{じょうず}です。  
>  Suzuki is the best in the class at English.

There is at least one exceptional circumstance where you should use the full
form の中で and that is when the group to be compared is referred to indirectly
(with a demonstrative pronoun), as below:

> この中{なか}で、これが一番{いちばん}いいです。  
>  Among these, this is the best.

Personally, I feel that `～の中で` might possibly be chosen over `～で` in a formal
written style, since the 'full forms' tend to be preferred. But that is
debatable and I couldn't offer any evidence to support that. In any case, you
can be confident that you can use either variation of it without worrying
about making a mistake.

