GrammarJLPT N5
→ besides
Besides; In Addition
JLPT N5ConjunctionNeutral
それに is a conjunction used to add supplementary information to what has already been stated, similar to English "besides," "in addition," or "moreover." It connects two sentences or clauses where the second one reinforces or adds to the same general direction as the first — that is, both statements tend to be either positive together or negative together. Unlike そして, which simply connects events in sequence, それに specifically signals that the speaker is piling on an additional reason, fact, or detail that supports the same overall point. It is also distinct from しかも, which carries a stronger nuance of surprise or emphasis ("what's more"), and from その上, which is somewhat more formal. それに is natural in both spoken and written Japanese and belongs to a neutral register, making it one of the most versatile additive conjunctions for everyday use.
Examples
Example #1
この店は安い。それに、おいしい。
Here the speaker first states a positive quality of the restaurant (it is cheap) and then uses それに to add another positive quality (the food is delicious). Both pieces of information point in the same favorable direction, which is the typical pattern for それに. The conjunction signals that the second statement is not merely a new topic but an additional supporting point.This restaurant is cheap. Besides, the food is delicious.
Structures
- Sentence connector
- Sentence 1。それに、Sentence 2。
Common mistakes
A common mistake is using それに to connect two statements that go in opposite evaluative directions — for example, one positive and one negative — which would be more appropriate for a contrastive conjunction like でも or しかし. Another frequent error is confusing それに with それから; while それから indicates temporal sequence ("and then"), それに adds supplementary information without implying any time order. Learners also sometimes overuse それに at the start of a completely new topic; it should only be used when the new sentence genuinely adds to or reinforces the previous point. Finally, some learners mix up それに with そして, but そして is a more general connector ("and; and then") that does not carry the specific nuance of "on top of that" or "besides" that それに conveys.
Related
そしてまたその上しかもさらにそれから