Speakable Japanese

How to Say "But" in Japanese: Connecting Contrasting Ideas (...desu ga)

Hello! In the previous lesson, you learned to connect a cause and effect. In this lesson, we will master the opposite—the very important conjunction 「〜が」 for connecting unexpected results or contrasting concepts.

The ability to say "This bag has a good design, but it's expensive," describing the pros and cons of things or explaining an unexpected turn of events, will give your expressions depth and complexity.

🎯 Lesson Goal

Learn to describe the complex aspects of things by connecting two contrasting sentences using the form 「〜が、〜」 (Sentence 1 + ga, + Sentence 2)!

Step 1 Discover

Let's look at how this is used in a real conversation. Two colleagues are discussing a new restaurant.

👩‍🦰
Yuki

このレストランは、おいしいですが、少し高いですね。

(Kono resutoran wa, oishii desu ga, sukoshi takai desu ne.)

🧔
Hiroshi

そうですね。サービスは良いが、いつも混んでいます。

(Sou desu ne. Saabisu wa yoi ga, itsumo konde imasu.)

💡

Did you notice?

Both Yuki and Hiroshi use "ga" to connect a positive trait (delicious/good service) with a negative one (expensive/crowded).

Step 2 The Pattern

Here is the standard formula for connecting contrasting ideas elegantly.

Basic Chunk

ですが、 です。

( desu ga, desu.)

🔑 Key Point: The Adversative Conjunction 'が'

Here, 'が' performs a completely different function from the 'が' that indicates the subject. Placed between two sentences, it acts like the English "but" or "however", showing that the second statement contrasts with or is opposite to the first.

Step 3 Pattern Practice

Read these examples out loud to get used to the rhythm of stating expectations vs. reality, or pros vs. cons!

  • Weather Sunny, but cold

    晴れ ですが、 寒い です。

    (Hare desu ga, samui desu.)

  • Shopping Cute, but expensive

    かわいい ですが、 高い です。

    (Kawaii desu ga, takai desu.)

  • Work / Study Busy, but fun

    忙しい ですが、 楽しい です。

    (Isogashii desu ga, tanoshii desu.)

Step 4 Make It Yours!

This is the most important step! Practice contrasting two different traits or situations using 'ga'. Pick words from the Cheat Sheet below and form your own sentences.

👉 INFO 1 ですが、 INFO 2 です。

Vocabulary Cheat Sheet

Positive Traits (良いところ)

  • おいしい oishii (delicious)
  • かわいい kawaii (cute)
  • たのしい tanoshii (fun)
  • べんり benri (convenient)

Negative Traits (気になるところ)

  • たかい takai (expensive)
  • せまい semai (narrow/small)
  • むずかしい muzukashii (difficult)
  • いそがしい isogashii (busy)

Bonus Go Beyond the Basics

In casual conversations with friends, you will often hear 'kedo' instead of 'desu ga'. Here is how to use it!

🙅‍♀️ 1. Negative

Basic / Formal

高くありませんが、美味しいです。

(Takaku arimasen ga, oishii desu.)

Casual (Friends)

高くないけど、美味しい。

(Takakunai kedo, oishii.)

🤝 2. Friendly & Casual

Using 'kedo'

美味しいけど、高い。

(Oishii kedo, takai.)

With emphasis

高いけど、美味しいよ。

(Takai kedo, oishii yo.)

Summary Lesson Review

Expressing Contrast: Use 〜が、〜 (ga) between two sentences to act like the English "but" or "however".

Pros and Cons: It's highly useful for connecting a positive trait with a negative one (e.g., おいしいですが、高いです).

Casual Form: In casual conversations, you will often hear けど (kedo) used instead of "desu ga".

Practice Drill

1 / X Polite

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