Japanese has multiple ways to say "but": が, けれども, でも, しかし... Some glue two sentences into one, while others keep them separate. Understanding this difference helps you build sentences correctly.
Two Types of "But"
| Type | Representatives | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Conjunctive particle | が, けれども | Glues two clauses into one sentence |
| Conjunction | でも, しかし | Two sentences stay separate |
Conjunctive Particles: が / けれども
These act like glue, joining two clauses into a single sentence.
Clause 1 + が/けれども + Clause 2
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 日本料理は美味しいですが、高いです。 | Japanese food is delicious, but expensive. |
| りんごは食べますが、なしは食べません。 | I eat apples, but not pears. |
| ラジオは直せますけれども、テレビは直せません。 | I can fix radios, but not TVs. |
けれども has shorter forms that all mean the same thing:
けれども → けれど → けど
Shorter = more casual. が is more formal; けど is the most casual.
Conjunctions: でも / しかし
These are stand-alone words. The first sentence ends (with a period), then the conjunction starts the next sentence.
Sentence 1. でも/しかし, Sentence 2.
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 日本料理は美味しいです。しかし、高いです。 | Japanese food is delicious. However, it's expensive. |
| 日本料理は美味しいです。でも、高いです。 | Japanese food is delicious. But it's expensive. |
しかし is more formal/written; でも is more casual/spoken.
Same Meaning, Different Structure
These two sentences mean exactly the same thing:
日本料理は美味しいですが**、高いです。** (conjunctive particle: one sentence) 日本料理は美味しいです。でも、高いです。 (conjunction: two sentences)
Either works. Just be consistent:
- With が/けれど: don't put a period in the middle -- it's the glue
- With でも/しかし: put a period before it -- it's an independent signpost
Formality Scale
| Casual | Formal | |
|---|---|---|
| Conjunctive particle | けど | が |
| Conjunction | でも | しかし |
In everyday conversation, you'll hear けど and でも most often.
Note: から Works the Same Way
"Because" also has both types:
| Type | Representative | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Conjunctive particle | から | 暑いですから、窓を開けます。 |
| Conjunction | ですから | 暑いです。ですから、窓を開けます。 |
から joins clauses; ですから starts a new sentence. Same logic as "but."
Wrap-Up
- Conjunctive particles (が, けれども) glue two clauses together
- Conjunctions (でも, しかし) keep sentences separate
- Same meaning, different sentence structure
- が/けど = formal/casual conjunctive particles
- しかし/でも = formal/casual conjunctions
Practice
Q1. Is が a conjunctive particle or a conjunction in "日本料理は美味しいですが、高いです"?
Answer
Conjunctive particle.
が joins "delicious" and "expensive" into one sentence.
Q2. Rewrite "天気はいいですが、寒いです" using the conjunction でも.
Answer
天気はいいです。でも、寒いです。
Remove が, end the first clause with a period, then start with でも.
Q3. What's the difference between けれども, けれど, and けど?
Answer
They mean exactly the same thing. けれども is the most formal, けど is the most casual. In daily conversation, けど is by far the most common.