N5 · Linking clauses
But: が and けど
joining two clauses with "but"
が and けど join two clauses that pull in different directions — and both can also just open a topic softly.
At a glance
- Remember
- が and けど close the first clause: "A が、B" — and sometimes A is all you say.
- Form
- 高いですが、おいしいですit's expensive, but good (polite)
- Signal words
- 〜が、
- 〜けど
- 〜けれども
- すみませんが
- 〜んですが
- Trap
- Wrong:行きたいです。が、時間がありません。Right:行きたいですが、時間がありません。
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| it's expensive, but good (polite) | 高いですが、おいしいです |
| it's expensive, but good (casual) | 高いけど、おいしい |
| I'd like to go, but… | 行きたいんですが |
| I like it, but… (plain) | 好きだけど |
| careful spoken form | 好きですけれども |
| excuse me, but… | すみませんが |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
が or けど at the end of the first clause means "but".
この部屋は狭いですが、明るいです。This room is small, but it is bright.
が sounds neutral or formal; けど is conversational.
日本語は難しいけど、面白い。Japanese is hard, but it is interesting.
Before a question or a request, が and けど just introduce the topic.
すみません、郵便局を探しているんですが、この近くにありますか。Excuse me, I am looking for the post office — is there one near here?
Stopping at が or けど leaves a refusal or a request unsaid.
明日はちょっと都合が悪いんですけど…。Tomorrow is a bit difficult for me, actually…
Example sentences
肉は食べますが、魚は食べません。I eat meat, but I don't eat fish.
行きたいけど、明日は仕事がある。I'd like to go, but I have work tomorrow.
古いアパートですが、駅から近いです。It is an old flat, but it is close to the station.
電話したけど、誰も出なかった。I phoned, but nobody answered.
すみませんが、窓を開けてもいいですか。Excuse me, may I open the window?
田中ですけれども、山田さんはいらっしゃいますか。This is Tanaka speaking — is Mr Yamada there?
7 more example sentences
漢字は読めますが、書けません。I can read kanji, but I can't write them.
天気はいいけど、風が強い。The weather is fine, but the wind is strong.
安かったけど、すぐ壊れた。It was cheap, but it broke straight away.
先週手紙を出しましたが、まだ返事がありません。I sent a letter last week, but there is still no reply.
英語は話せるけど、日本語はまだ下手だ。I can speak English, but my Japanese is still poor.
ちょっと聞きたいことがあるんですが、今いいですか。There is something I want to ask — is now a good time?
行けたら行きますけど…。I will come if I can, but…
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English "but" can open a new sentence, and learners copy that with が. But が and けど are endings of the first clause and cannot stand at the start of a sentence. To begin a new sentence with "but", Japanese uses でも or, more formally, しかし.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
To say "A, but B" in one sentence, put が or けど at the end of the first clause: 高いですが、おいしいです, "it is expensive, but it is good"; 行きたいけど、時間がない, "I want to go, but I have no time". The conjunction belongs to the first clause, so a comma comes after it, not before.
が sounds neutral to formal and sits naturally after です and ます. けど is conversational; its fuller forms けれど and けれども are a little more careful. Both follow the polite form or the plain form, whichever style the sentence is in: 好きですけど, 好きだけど.
Both are also used where English would not say "but" at all. Before a question or a request, が and けど simply open the subject: すみません、駅に行きたいんですが、どう行けばいいですか, "excuse me, I want to get to the station — how do I go?". There is no contrast; the first clause sets the scene.
A sentence may even stop at が or けど, leaving the rest unsaid: ちょっと用事があるんですけど…, "I have something on, but…" — which is how Japanese politely declines. English speakers often start a new sentence with でも instead, which is correct but sounds more abrupt than joining the two.
A closer look
The が that only opens a topic
English "but" always signals a contrast. Japanese が and けど often signal nothing more than "I have something to add". In 来週の会議のことですが、時間が変わりました, "about next week's meeting: the time has changed", there is no contrast at all; the first clause names the subject.
This use is everywhere in polite Japanese, because it lets a speaker prepare the listener before a request or a piece of news. Translated with "but", such sentences sound puzzling; translated with a dash or a colon, they sound exactly right.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
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が comes after a noun and before a verb
it is the subject particle, not "but": 雨が降る.
雨が降っていますが、出かけます。It is raining, but I am going out.
The two are the same sound and different words. The "but" comes at the end of a whole clause, after a verb, an adjective or です, and is usually followed by a comma.
Worth knowing (1)
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Saying no without saying it
An invitation is often declined with a reason and けど or が, and nothing more. The listener hears the refusal in the unfinished sentence, and nobody has had to say "no".
「今晩、飲みに行きませんか。」「今晩はちょっと…用事があるんですが。」"Shall we go for a drink tonight?" "Tonight is a bit… I have something on."
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