Instrument / Mediator
Instrumental
Instrument
Means
With what or through what does it happen?
extended
intermediate
Scene core
Значение
The tool, medium, body part, system, channel, or mediator used to perform or transmit the action.
Как распознать
Ask what tool or channel makes the action possible.
Примеры
Слова
knife|phone|car|email|hand
Фразы
with a knife|by email|through the app
Предложение
He cut the bread with a knife.
Visual guide
Basic shape
Actor │ uses ▼ Instrument / mediator │ makes possible ▼ Action He cut bread with a knife.
Compare shape
Same role, different shapes: with a knife (preposition) knife-CASE (case ending) by email (medium) through the app (channel) hand + cut (bare/compound) Ask: with/through what?
Разбор по языкам
В вашем языке
Russian
Выраженность
strong
Важность
Tools are commonly marked by instrumental case, with or without a preposition.
Он пишет ручкой.
He writes with pen.
В изучаемом языке
Japanese
Выраженность
strong
Сложность
Instruments and means are commonly marked by で.
ナイフでパンを切った。
I cut bread with a knife.
Типичная трудность
Learners may confuse で as instrument marker with で as location of action.
Same block, different coding
Both languages use this block strongly, but they signal it differently. Focus on form changes, not only meaning.