At a glance
じゃ (also じゃあ) means "well then" or "in that case". It starts a sentence that reacts to what was just said or noticed, and leads into a decision, suggestion or request.
A。じゃ、B。
「雨が降っているよ。」「じゃ、傘を持っていこう。」 "It's raining." "Well then, let's take an umbrella."
How to form it
じゃ is a short form of では. It goes at the start of sentence B, followed by a comma. Sentence A is often said by the other person.
| Form | Where it goes | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| じゃ / じゃあ | Start of B | Conversational | じゃ、行こう。 |
| それじゃ / それじゃあ | Start of B | Conversational | それじゃ、また。 |
| では | Start of B | More formal | では、始めます。 |
| それでは | Start of B | Formal | それでは、始めましょう。 |