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I think they have the same meaning: therefore.

But my teacher told me they were slightly different.

So can you help me distinguish them and how to use please?
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2012-05-27T18:12:14.730
5643
2012-05-28T00:46:41.883
2012-05-27T19:48:59.317
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question
word-choice
What is the difference between ですから, だから, それで、それでは？
Let's look at some examples:

> [彼女]{かのじょ}はめっちゃかわいい。(だから/それで)[男性]{だんせい}に[人気]{にんき}がある。

In the above post, I think you could use either だから or それで. So in some
situations they are interchangeable. However, I think the underlying meaning
is slightly different. When you use だから, it puts a strong emphasis on the
reason why, also it has more of a tendency to be a result of personal opinion.
On the other hand, それで can be thought of as "naturally forming" from the
reason. Let's try to translate the above sentences which show the difference:

> (だから) **The** reason (I think) she is popular with guys is because she is so
> cute.
>
> (それで)She is so cute. That's why (it naturally follows that) she is popular
> with guys.

In my first translation, I emphasized `The` because だから puts an emphasis on
the reason why. Also, I put "I think" in parentheses because だから can also
imply that it is your opinion. As for それで, I put "it naturally follows that"
in parentheses because it can imply that. However, I should mention that these
nuances are much more subtle than how I expressed them.

> もう[時間]{じかん}がないんだ。(○だから/×それで)急ごう。
>
> ここは[危]{あぶ}ない。(○だから/×それで)入ってはいけない。

In the above sentences, それで cannot be used. The reason why is because the それで
cannot be used with expressions that are commands or put a strong emphasis on
the reason why. So, from this, we can infer that だから has a much more broader
meaning than それで. However, even though だから has a broader meaning, you may hear
それで more often because in Japanese culture people tend to avoid expressions
that put a strong emphasis on one's own opinion, etc. (your mileage may vary
though).

As for the differences between ですから and だから, です is just a more polite form
than だ. However, それで and それでは have completely different meanings. You use それでは
(and the more colloquial それじゃ) for the following:

  1. Saying goodbye: 

> それではお元気で

  2. Expressing a decision or opinion based usually on something previously mentioned by the person you are talking to:

> Aさん：[風邪]{かぜ}[引]{ひ}いちゃった。Bさん：それじゃいけないね。

  3. When beginning or ending something (like a meeting or something).

> それでは始めます。

(This list is not exhaustive.)
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2012-05-28T00:46:41.883
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2012-05-28T00:46:41.883
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answer