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I have read several definitions of だって but none of them seem to make sense when I see it at the beginning of a sentence and I read the context. I saw one example Japanese sentence and in the English translation だって wasn't translated into anything.

So what is だって when it's at the beginning of a sentence?

language hacker
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2 Answers2

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Well, since I have no examples to go off of, I'll guess at which type of scenario you're thinking of. It can mean like "But" or "Well (then)" in a kind of defensive sort of way. Usually giving a reason for some action. Like なぜかというと. Ex:

お皿{さら}のものはみんな食{た}べなさい　→　Eat everything on your plate.
だってお腹{なか}が一杯{いっぱい}なんだもん　→　But I'm full!

Questioner
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istrasci
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    Can it mean "because?" – language hacker Nov 04 '11 at 23:41
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    Perhaps, but the most common way I see だって translations go wrong is using "because" when it's not appropriate. だって is used to indicate that you're providing (or implying that you have) personal thoughts/reasons justifying your behaviour/statements. It implores the other person to agree with your logic. "Because" has much more of a sense of completely firm reasoning that doesn't admit discussion. When it seems that "because" applies, "I mean / after all" is probably more fitting. (I'd advise you to post some example sentences if you want more clarification.) – Hyperworm Nov 05 '11 at 01:22
  • @languagehacker: why would you think it could mean "because"? If "because" there is, then in "もん" it is, not in "だって". – Axioplase Nov 05 '11 at 07:38
  • Is it similar to だから? – Karl Knechtel Nov 05 '11 at 08:13
  • @karl: no. 1) You don't start a sentence with だから (except in Sendai, maybe). 2) Standard Japanese for だから is "because". We (I) just said that だって is *not* "because". – Axioplase Nov 05 '11 at 10:36
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    I was thinking of how だから gets used in anime. It often seems like an interjection, or like it would be better translated "Like I said" or something like that. – Karl Knechtel Nov 05 '11 at 17:24
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    I've often heard だから beginning a sentence, meaning either "Like I said ..." or "So ...", but I really don't see how that can be compared to だって (other than that they're both prone to being mistranslated). – Hyperworm Nov 06 '11 at 03:52
  • @KarlKnechtel: that's quite informal, probably 100% spoken, and there's an omission of all that was said before. As for the meaning, just like Hyperworm wrote. – Axioplase Nov 06 '11 at 04:08
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    [お皿さらのものはみんな食たべなさい] This sentence is EXTREMELY suspicious :) – 龚元程 Nov 07 '11 at 14:16
  • @ 龚元程 - I don't know why you think so. But if you don't believe me, take it up with [プログレッシブ和英中辞典](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%A0%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A6&dtype=3&dname=2na&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=02602700), because that's where I got the example from. – istrasci Nov 07 '11 at 15:18
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    @istraci: Not nearly native, and someone correct me if I'm wrong, but... a) Why is the food the topic of an imperative sentence? Actually, I don't think I've ever seen a topic marker in an imperative sentence. Maybe it could be a contrastive は, but what does it contrast with? Things that fell off the plate? b) Can you use みんな for non-people? It reads more like telling everyone to eat what's on the plates, and not telling one person to eat everything on the plate. – Amadan Nov 07 '11 at 20:32
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    @Amadan - You should post this question as a separate topic. I think it's great and worthy of discussion. But continuing that discussion here will just leave it buried and not useful for others. – istrasci Nov 07 '11 at 20:37
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だって (at the beginning of a sentence!) is always followed by:

  • reason, pretext (because, ...etc.)
  • opposition (but, ...etc.)

So it's not only 'but' or 'like I said'.

It's context dependent and it CAN be translated as because.

(Context is an emo-schoolgirl-drama.)

山崎くん：スマイルぐらいしてよ。なんでオレともう喋らないの？

At least give me a smile. Why don't you talk to me anymore?

リカちゃん：だって、「りかちゃんが好きじゃない」って聞いちゃった

Because I heard you don't like me.

龚元程
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