N5 · Linking clauses
And, then, but, so: joining sentences in speech
そして, それから, でも and だから
Four words at the start of a sentence link it to the one before: そして, それから, でも and だから.
At a glance
- Remember
- そして adds, それから follows, でも objects, だから concludes — each at the start of a sentence.
- Form
- そしてand (adding)
- Signal words
- そして
- それから
- でも
- しかし
- だから
- ですから
- Trap
- Wrong:雨が降っていますでも出かけます。Right:雨が降っています。でも、出かけます。
Your turn
8 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
The form
| and (adding) | そして |
| and then, after that | それから |
| but (spoken) | でも |
| but (written) | しかし |
| so, that is why | だから |
| so (politer) | ですから |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is about
そして adds the next fact.
京都は古い町です。そして、静かです。Kyoto is an old city. And it is quiet.
それから puts things in order: "and then".
朝ご飯を食べました。それから、学校へ行きました。I had breakfast. Then I went to school.
でも starts a sentence that goes against the one before.
この店は安いです。でも、あまりおいしくないです。This place is cheap. But it is not very good.
だから gives the result of what was just said.
明日は試験です。だから、今晩は勉強します。I have an exam tomorrow. So I am studying tonight.
Example sentences
日曜日は掃除をしました。そして、洗濯もしました。On Sunday I cleaned. And I did the washing too.
駅で友達に会いました。それから、一緒に映画を見ました。I met a friend at the station. Then we saw a film together.
日本語は難しいです。でも、面白いです。Japanese is difficult. But it is interesting.
昨日は熱がありました。だから、会社を休みました。I had a temperature yesterday. So I took the day off work.
りんごを三つ、それからみかんを五つください。Three apples, and five mandarins as well, please.
道が込んでいました。ですから、少し遅れました。The roads were busy. That is why I was a little late.
7 more example sentences
窓を開けました。そして、少し休みました。I opened the window. And I rested for a while.
宿題をして、それからテレビを見ました。I did my homework, and after that I watched TV.
行きたかったです。でも、行けませんでした。I wanted to go. But I could not.
彼はいつも遅れる。だから、誰も待たない。He is always late. That is why nobody waits for him.
仕事は大変です。でも、楽しいです。The work is hard. But it is fun.
まず手を洗って、それから食べてください。Wash your hands first, and then eat.
寒くなりました。ですから、風邪に気をつけてください。It has turned cold. So please take care not to catch a cold.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
English "but" can sit inside one sentence, and learners use でも the same way. でも opens a new sentence; inside one sentence, "but" is the ending が or けど on the first clause: 降っていますが、出かけます.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
Within a sentence, Japanese joins clauses with endings — the te-form, から, が. Between two sentences it uses a word at the start of the second one. Four of them carry most everyday speech: そして "and", それから "and then", でも "but" and だから "so".
そして adds the next thing: 部屋は広いです。そして、明るいです. それから puts things in order of time — "and after that" — and also adds one more item to a list: パンと牛乳、それから卵も買いました.
でも turns against what was just said: 行きたいです。でも、時間がありません. Its formal partner is しかし, which belongs to writing and speeches. だから draws the consequence: 雨です。だから、家にいます. With polite speech towards a superior, ですから is softer, because the plain だ inside だから can sound insistent.
English speakers tend to start every sentence with one of these, because English joins with "and" and "so" all the time. Japanese uses them more sparingly and prefers to join within the sentence when it can: 雨だから家にいます is more natural than two sentences linked by だから.
A closer look
From speech to writing
Each of these words has a written counterpart, and the difference is register, not meaning. In speech: そして, でも, だから. In a report or an essay: また or さらに, しかし, したがって or そのため.
A learner who writes an essay with でも and だから sounds as if they were chatting; one who says したがって at dinner sounds as if they were reading out a contract. The written set is a topic of its own at a later level.
Exceptions and special cases (1)
-
でも follows a noun or a question word
it is not "but" but "even" or "any": 子どもでも分かる, "even a child understands"; いつでも, "any time".
この料理は子どもでも作れます。Even a child can make this dish.
This でも is a particle attached to the word before it, not a word opening a sentence. Position tells them apart: the "but" stands first, usually followed by a comma.
Worth knowing (1)
-
でも as a soft protest
In conversation でも often opens a reply that disagrees a little: "yes, but…". It can sound like an excuse, and a speaker who answers every suggestion with でも sounds stubborn.
「早く寝なさい。」「でも、まだ眠くないよ。」"Go to bed now." "But I'm not sleepy yet."
How well do you know this topic?
This is filled in automatically after you practise. You can change it here at any time.
Next on the path: 36 · Counting things: countersBack to the learning path