けど/けれども

But/although

Level 2Sounds Like kedo/keredomo

けど and its formal version けれども are used to connect two opposing ideas or to make a statement sound less direct and more polite.

How It Works

けど is one of the most versatile particles in Japanese. It functions in three main ways:

1. Contrast: It connects two clauses where the second part contradicts or qualifies the first. While が is standard for formal writing and is also extremely common in polite speech, けど dominates casual speech and is frequently used in everyday polite speech as well.

2. Softening (Trailing けど): In Japanese culture, being too direct can be seen as rude. Ending a sentence with けど (often followed by a pause) implies '...but what do you think?' or '...but I'm not sure if this is okay.' It is standard practice to omit the following clause entirely when using けど for softening. A highly common set phrase using this softening function is 〜といいんだけど (or 〜といいんですが), which translates to 'I hope that...' or 'It would be nice if...'.

3. Preliminary Remark & Background: It is used to set the stage before asking a question, making a request, or simply to connect two sequential or related thoughts (functioning like 'so' or 'and' in English). It provides explanatory background information even when no request follows. It is very common to combine んです with けど (e.g., んですけど) to provide this background before making a statement or request. As with softening, the second half of the sentence is frequently omitted entirely.

Formality Levels:

  • けど: Casual and very common in daily speech.
  • けども / けれど: Intermediate conversational steps between casual and formal.
  • けれども: The most formal spoken variant, used in speeches, customer service, or polite emails (true formal writing prefers が or しかし).

Attachment Rules:
けど attaches directly to the ます form or plain form of verbs. For い-adjectives, it attaches to the plain form or follows the polite copula です. For な-adjectives and nouns, you must include a form of the copula (such as だ, です, だった, or じゃない) before adding けど (e.g., だけど, ですけど, だったけど).

Politeness Agreement: If the clause before けど uses the polite ます form or です, the clause after it must also be polite. However, you can use a plain form before けど and still end the sentence with a polite form.

Sentence Starter: In conversation, だけど is a common conjunction used at the beginning of a sentence to mean 'But...' or 'However...'. Note that you cannot start a sentence with just けど. You must use だけど, ですけど, or でも.

Punctuation Note: English speakers naturally place a comma before 'but', whereas in Japanese, the comma (、) is typically placed after けど.

Examples (4)

  1. 日本語は難しいけど、面白いです。

    Japanese is difficult, but it's interesting.

    Word by Word: Japanese (topic) difficult but, interesting is.

    A classic example of contrast using the casual けど with a polite ending.

  2. すみません、ちょっと聞きたいことがあるんですけど…。

    Excuse me, there is something I'd like to ask...

    Word by Word: Excuse me, a little want-to-ask thing exists (explanatory) but...

    Here, けど is used to soften a request. It signals that the speaker is about to ask something and is checking if the listener is available.

  3. 一生懸命勉強しましたけれども、試験に落ちてしまいました。

    Although I studied as hard as I could, I unfortunately failed the exam.

    Word by Word: With all one's might studied although, exam in fell (regret).

    This uses the formal けれども to show contrast in a more serious or formal context.

  4. 今日は休みだけど、仕事に行きます。

    Today is a day off, but I'm going to work.

    Word by Word: Today (topic) holiday is but, work to go.

    Note the use of だ after the noun 休み（やすみ）before adding けど.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the copula だ or です after nouns or な-adjectives.

    彼は日本人けど、英語が上手です。
    彼は日本人だけど、英語が上手です。

    Nouns and な-adjectives cannot connect directly to けど. You must use だけど or ですけど.

  • Using のに when you should use けど for simple contrast.

    雨が降っているのに、買い物に行きます。
    雨が降っているけど、買い物に行きます。

    のに implies a sense of complaint, surprise, or regret ('Even though it's raining!'). If you just want to state a neutral fact, けど is the correct choice.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

けど/けれどもLevel 2But/although

Learn This First

To use けど or けれども, you need to be able to form complete sentences in both casual and polite forms. These particles act as bridges between two clauses to show contrast, similar to the English word 'but'.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern