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I know that ですね is a form of saying right? but in this sentence これビデオですね what does that means? I understand that means "it's a video" but I don't understand the ね. A friend was recording a video and some people thought it was a photo and they posed but then she said it ain't was a photo.

  • focusing in some friends
  • they pose
  • これ、ビデオですね。
  • ビデオですか？
  • laughs
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    What is the context/situation?
    – user4032
    Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 6:08
  • A friend where recording a video, and the others thouth it was a photo but then she said "これ、ビデオですね"
    – Jaume
    Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 21:25
  • I'm refraining from posting an answer, simply because I can't describe the exact emotion in English. It's kind of a way of saying, "It's a video, you guys," with an emotional edge attached to it, and a mild expectation of a response or acknowledgement.
    – Cat
    Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 23:12
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    In that case I have a feeling it would be the sixth example in my answer below. The ね is softly stating a fact that the friends may not have realised. "I'm taking a video, not a photo."
    – The Wandering Coder
    Commented Mar 26, 2015 at 1:24

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As @l'électeur asked, what is the context?

  • It could mean This is a Video, isn't it?
  • It could also mean This is a video as if introducing some long lost technology.
  • It could also show some kind of small astonishment like having found a video where they were expecting something else Oh! A video!
  • When addressing something you are confident is a video, without wanting to offend another person's interpretation of the object This, as you may already know, is a video
  • Realisation that you are being recorded rather than photographed You are taking a video right?
  • From the view of the person taking the video I'm recording! (implying that a video rather than a photo is being taken - as with the photo/video element of digital cameras and phone camera/video recorders)

The ね is either implying a question where agreement is expected (as in the first example). Implying solid understanding of the subject (That is definitely a video) as in the second example. Indicating a small amount of astonishment (as in the third example). Without intending to cause offense at stating an obvious fact (fourth example). Questioning the state of something and expecting an answer (fifth example). Softly stating a fact that others may have not been aware of (sixth example).

EDIT to include @Michael and @user224579's comments

Once again, without more background it could mean anyone of these things and/or more.

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    ね also is a way of softening a statement that you are confident to be correct, but don't want to offend the listener by stating something known or obvious. "as you may already know, this is a video".
    – Michael
    Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 17:39
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    This is a practical joke where people pose in front of a camera thinking it is a photo, but they're actually being recorded on video. So whoever was posing realized they were being videographed.
    – user224579
    Commented Mar 25, 2015 at 21:38
  • I did mention that it could further be interpreted in other ways. Nevertheless I have included the situations from both comments in my answer. Michael - That is definitely a way I have used it before. user224579 - Without the context it is hard to tell, but as I have experienced this firsthand I have edited it into one of the possibilities in my answer.
    – The Wandering Coder
    Commented Mar 26, 2015 at 1:19
  • This can be used by both men and woman?
    – Jaume
    Commented Mar 26, 2015 at 5:18
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    ね in most cases seeks agreement. So by saying ビデオですね the person taking the video was seeking agreement that everyone understands it is in fact a video that is being taken not a picture. Hence in your example the ビデオですか？ question, is said in order for the listener to confirm the speaker's statement and thus reach agreement that video is in fact being taken.
    – The Wandering Coder
    Commented Mar 26, 2015 at 5:41

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