watashi wa eigo de ieru ga, nihongo de wa mada iemasen.

topic particle

Breakdown of watashi wa eigo de ieru ga, nihongo de wa mada iemasen.

• 私わたし: I
• 日に本ほん語ご: Japanese (language)

Questions & Answers about watashi wa eigo de ieru ga, nihongo de wa mada iemasen.

What does the particle で mean after 英語 and 日本語?

で here marks the means or medium by which something is done.

• 英語で言える = “can say (it) in English”
• 日本語で言えません = “can’t say (it) in Japanese”

So in this sentence, 英語で and 日本語で mean “in English” and “in Japanese” rather than “English/Japanese (as an object).”

What is the difference between 日本語で and 日本語では? Why is は added after で?

で alone:

• 日本語で言えません = “I can’t say it in Japanese.” (neutral statement)

では = で + は, which adds a contrast or topic nuance:

• 日本語ではまだ言えません = “(At least) in Japanese, I still can’t say it.”
  It implies:
• In English I can do it, but in Japanese (by contrast) I can’t yet.

So では highlights 日本語で as the topic of contrast, matching the “but” feeling of the whole sentence.

Where is the word “it” in the Japanese sentence? Why isn’t it written?

Japanese often omits things that are obvious from context, especially pronouns and objects.

In English we say: