At a glance
ところで means "by the way". It goes at the start of a sentence to change the topic or bring up a new one.
[Sentence]。ところで、[new topic]。
寒くなりましたね。ところで、冬休みはどこかへ行きますか。 It's gotten cold, hasn't it? By the way, are you going anywhere for winter vacation?
How to form it
ところで is a connector. It does not change form.
| Where it goes | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Start of a new sentence, usually followed by 、 | Neutral: polite or casual speech, and writing such as emails | 暑いですね。ところで、田中さんはお元気ですか。 |
The politeness comes from the rest of the sentence, not from ところで itself.