Japanese Grammar: だけど (dakedo) – But / However

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Japanese Grammar: だけど (dakedo) – But / However
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

‘Dakedo’ (だけど) means ‘but,’ ‘however,’ or ‘although.’ It is used to connect two contrasting ideas or to introduce a sentence that contradicts what was previously stated.

🎯 Primary Function

To express contrast, contradiction, or to soften the delivery of a statement.

📋 Grammar Structure

Verb (Plain Form) + けど / だけど (at the start of a sentence)
I-adj + けど / だけど (at the start of a sentence)
Na-adj + だ + けど / だけど (at the start of a sentence)
Noun/Adj/Verb Negative Form + けど / だけど (at the start of a sentence)

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Used less frequently; ‘desu keredo’ or ‘shikashi’ are preferred in formal settings.

😊 Informal Situations

Extremely common in daily conversation with friends, family, and colleagues.

✍️ Written Language

Used in casual writing, blogs, and text messages. Not suitable for formal essays.

🗣️ Spoken Language

The primary medium for this grammar point, often shortened to ‘kedo’ or ‘kedo sa.’

💡 Common Applications

Contrastive Conjunction
Used to show a direct contradiction between two sentences.
Example: 外は寒い。だけど、散歩に行きたい。 (It’s cold outside. But, I want to go for a walk.)
Softener/Introduction
Used at the end of a phrase to soften a request or introduce a topic indirectly.
Example: ちょっとお願いがあるんだけど… (I have a small favor to ask, but…)
Informal Discussion
Commonly used in casual conversation to provide nuanced opinions.
Example: その映画、面白かったけど長すぎた。 (That movie was interesting, but too long.)
📊
Frequency
Very High
🎚️
Difficulty
JLPT N3
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Related Kanji

JLPT N3 Kanji List

Related Vocabulary

JLPT N3 Vocabulary List
Example Sentences
Example #1
新しい車が買いたいんだけど、お金が足りない。
Furigana: あたら（しい）くるま（が）か（いたい）の（だ）けれど、おかね（が）た（りない）。
Romaji: Atarashii kuruma ga kaitai n dakedo, okane ga tarinai.
English: I want to buy a new car, but I don’t have enough money.
Example #2
一生懸命勉強したんだけど、試験に落ちてしまった。
Furigana: いっしょうけんめいべんきょう（した）の（だ）けれど、しけん（に）お（ちてしまった）。
Romaji: Isshoukenmei benkyou shita n dakedo, shiken ni ochite shimatta.
English: I studied hard, but I failed the exam.
Example #3
彼は優しい人だけど、少し人見知りだ。
Furigana: かれ（は）やさ（しい）ひと（だ）けれど、すこ（し）ひとみし（りだ）。
Romaji: Kare wa yasashii hito dakedo, sukoshi hitomishiri da.
English: He is a kind person, but he is a bit shy.
Example #4
雨が降っているんだけど、ランニングに行く。
Furigana: あめ（が）ふ（っている）けれど、ランニング（に）い（く）。
Romaji: Ame ga futte iru n dakedo, ranningu ni iku.
English: It’s raining, but I’m going for a run.
Example #5
だけど、それはいい考えだとは思わない。
Furigana: だけど、それ（は）いいかんが（えだとは）おも（わない）。
Romaji: Dakedo, sore wa ii kangae da to wa omowanai.
English: However, I don’t think that’s a good idea.
Example #6
辛い食べ物は好きだけど、これは辛すぎます。
Furigana: から（い）た（べもの）はす（きだ）けれど、これ（は）から（すぎます）。
Romaji: Karai tabemono wa suki dakedo, kore wa karasugimasu.
English: I like spicy food, but this is too spicy even for me.
Example #7
助けを呼んだんだけど、誰も来なかった。
Furigana: たす（けを）よ（んだ）けれど、だれ（も）こ（なかった）。
Romaji: Tasuke o yonda n dakedo, dare mo konakatta.
English: I asked for help, but no one answered.
Example #8
このレストランは有名だけど、あまりおいしくない。
Furigana: このレストラン（は）ゆうめい（だ）けれど、あまりおいしくない。
Romaji: Kono resutoran wa yuumei dakedo, amari oishikunai.
English: This restaurant is famous, but the food isn’t very good.
Example #9
今日は忙しいんだけど、明日は暇だ。
Furigana: きょう（は）いそが（しい）けれど、あした（は）ひま（だ）。
Romaji: Kyou wa isogashii n dakedo, ashita wa hima da.
English: I’m busy today, but I’ll be free tomorrow.
Example #10
すみません、駅への道を教えてもらいたいんだけど。
Furigana: すみません、えき（への）みち（を）おし（えて）もら（いたい）の（だ）けれど。
Romaji: Sumimasen, eki e no michi o oshiete moraitai n dakedo.
English: I’m sorry, but can you tell me the way to the station?
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Sentence Initial Usage
‘Dakedo’ can start a sentence, whereas ‘kedo’ usually connects two clauses.
Example: 明日は雨だ。だけど、行く。 (Tomorrow is rain. But, I will go.)
Trailing off sentences
Ending a sentence with ‘dakedo’ implies there’s more to say or asks the listener to infer the rest.
Example: ちょっといいんだけど… (It’s a bit [awkward/a problem], but…)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ きれいけど (Kirei kedo) – Incorrect for Na-adjectives without ‘da’.
✅ きれいだけど (Kirei dakedo)
Na-adjectives require ‘da’ before ‘kedo’ when used to mean ‘but’ as a conjunction.
❌ Using ‘dakedo’ in a formal report.
✅ しかし (Shikashi) / ですが (Desu ga)
‘Dakedo’ is too casual for business emails or academic papers.

🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: Casual to neutral. It is the shortened form of ‘da keredomo.’
Social Situations: Commonly used to trail off a sentence to avoid being too direct or blunt, which is a key part of Japanese social harmony (Wa).
Regional Variations: In some dialects (like Kansai), ‘yakedo’ is used instead of ‘dakedo.’

🔍 Subtle Differences

だけど vs でも (Demo)
‘Demo’ is a pure conjunction at the start of a sentence. ‘Dakedo’ is more colloquial and can connect two clauses.
When to use: Use ‘Demo’ for a stronger ‘but’ at the start of a sentence. Use ‘Dakedo’ for a slightly softer transition.
だけど vs しかし (Shikashi)
‘Shikashi’ is formal and used in writing. ‘Dakedo’ is conversational.
When to use: Use ‘Shikashi’ in speeches or essays.

📝 Conjugation Notes

For Nouns and Na-adjectives, you must attach ‘da’ (だ) before ‘kedo’ (だけど). For Verbs and I-adjectives, you attach ‘kedo’ directly to the plain form. Often used with ‘n’ (explanatory particle) as ‘n dakedo’ to sound more natural in speech.

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

In casual speech, the ‘da’ is sometimes dropped after I-adjectives and verbs, but kept after nouns/na-adjectives. The ‘o’ at the end is often held slightly longer for emphasis.

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of ‘Dakedo’ as the combination of ‘Da’ (is) + ‘Kedo’ (but). If you start a sentence with it, you are saying ‘That is so, BUT…’

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