jibun de kimeru no de wa naku, onseiannai ni shitagau.

to decide

Breakdown of jibun de kimeru no de wa naku, onseiannai ni shitagau.

• に: target particle
• 自分じぶん で: by oneself
• の で は なく: rather than

Questions & Answers about jibun de kimeru no de wa naku, onseiannai ni shitagau.

What is the basic structure of 自分で決めるのではなく、音声案内に従う?

The sentence has a very common contrast pattern:

• A のではなく、B
• not A, but B
• or more naturally, rather than A, do B

So here:

• 自分で決める = decide by yourself
• のではなく = rather than / instead of
• 音声案内に従う = follow the voice guidance

So the whole sentence means something like:

• Rather than deciding for yourself, follow the voice guidance.

It contrasts two actions:

1. deciding on your own
2. following the guidance

---

Why is there a で after 自分?

In 自分で, the で does not mean location here. It marks the idea of by oneself or on one’s own.

So:

• 自分で決める = decide for oneself / decide on one’s own

This is a very common pattern:

• 自分でやる = do it yourself
• 自分で選ぶ = choose for yourself
• 自分で作る = make it yourself

In this sentence, 自分で emphasizes that the person is making the decision independently, without relying on the guidance.

---

Does 自分 mean here?