そこで

そこで is a conjunctive expression used to move from a situation or premise to a result or next step. It functions like “therefore,” “so,” or “in that case” in English. It’s commonly used when you describe what happened next as a direct consequence of the preceding situation, whether you’re presenting a plan, an outcome, or a shift in action. It can appear at the start of a sentence to connect to a previous clause, or mid-sentence when the preceding clause ends with a state that makes the following action natural. Tone is slightly formal and narrative, suitable for explanations, reports, and stories. Note that そこで marks a logical transition and should not be used merely to add a casual continuation. It isn’t interchangeable with だから or そのため in all contexts; use そこで when you want to emphasize a direct consequence arising from the prior situation.