ては / では

About

～ては can be used as a ① Conditional marker: "Whenever/often", or to express ② repeating, cyclical actions: "X keeps doing Y, then Z". This entry concerns usage ①.

For usage ① ～ては occurs once in a sentence and indicates a habitual or common pattern of action "when X, (always/usually/tends to) Y".

E.g. あの二人ふたりは、会あっては喧嘩けんかしている。 "Whenever those two meet, they fight."

E.g. 子供こどもの頃ころ、ヘリコプターを見みては喜よろこんでいた。 "When I was a kid, I was always happy to see a helicopter.

E.g. 子犬こいぬが、ボールを持もってきては投なげてとせがんでくるのが可愛かわいい。 "It's cute how every time the puppy brings me the ball, he begs me to throw it."

～ては is most commonly used in spoken casual/spoken polite scenarios.

ては can be contracted to ちゃ in casual scenarios (では contracts to じゃ).

Summary

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  ～ては can be used as a ① Conditional marker: "Whenever/often"

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  For this usage, ～ては occurs once in a sentence and indicates a habitual or common pattern of action