〜けど / 〜が: How to Say 'But' and 'Although' in Japanese
What it means
けど and が are conjunctions that connect two clauses with a sense of contrast — English "but" or "although." The first clause sets something up, and the second clause goes against it. They mean the same thing; the difference is register: が feels more formal and written, while けど is what you say in everyday conversation. (けれど and けれども sit in between — a touch more polite than けど.)
このケーキは高いけど、おいしいです。
この ケーキは たかいけど、おいしいです。
This cake is expensive, but it's delicious.
ヤッタンは日本語が難しいですが、頑張っています。
ヤッタンは にほんごが むずかしいですが、がんばって います。
Japanese is hard for Yattan, but he's working hard at it.
Polite です + が — formal, clean.
先生に聞いたけど、分かりませんでした。
せんせいに きいたけど、わかりませんでした。
I asked the teacher, but I didn't understand.
How to form it
Attach けど or が to the end of clause 1, then add clause 2. They go straight onto whatever ends the clause — a plain form, a polite form, an い-adjective, or a な-adjective/noun + だ/です.
| Clause 1 ends in… | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain verb | 〜けど / 〜が | 行くけど = (I) go, but… |
| Polite verb | 〜けど / 〜が | 行きますが = (I) go, but… |
| い-adjective | 〜けど / 〜が | 高いけど = expensive, but… |
| な-adj / noun (plain) | だ + けど / が | 静かだけど = quiet, but… |
| な-adj / noun (polite) | です + が / けど | 静かですが = quiet, but… |
A quick register ladder, most casual to most formal: けど → けれど → けれども → が. Pick the one that matches how polite the rest of your sentence is.
Casual vs. formal in action
モチは犬だけど、猫が好き。
モチは いぬだけど、ねこが すき。
Mochi is a dog, but he likes cats.
Noun + だ + けど — casual.
安いですが、あまり良くないです。
やすいですが、あまり よくないです。
It's cheap, but it's not very good.
です + が — polite and neat.
頼んだけど、まだ来ない。
たのんだけど、まだ こない。
I ordered it, but it still hasn't come.
The softener use (not really "but")
Both けど and が are also used to gently lead into a request, question, or comment. Here they aren't contrasting anything — they just soften what comes next, like English "Excuse me, but…". This is extremely common and very polite.
すみませんが、トイレはどこですか。
すみませんが、トイレは どこですか。
Excuse me, but where is the restroom?
が prefaces the question politely.
失礼ですけど、お名前は？
しつれいですけど、おなまえは？
Excuse me, but may I ask your name?
ヤッタンですけど、先生はいますか。
ヤッタンですけど、せんせいは いますか。
This is Yattan — is the teacher in?
けど eases into the question; no contrast at all.
You can even trail off after けど / が and leave the rest unsaid — Japanese loves this. ちょっと聞きたいことがあるんですけど… ("There's something I'd like to ask, but…") invites the listener to respond.
Common mistakes
- Confusing が-but with が-subject. This
がis a conjunction meaning "but." It is a totally different word from the subject-marker が in 〜が (subject) (e.g. 雨が降る, "rain falls"). Context and position tell them apart: subject-が follows a noun; but-が ends a clause. - Mixing politeness levels. Don't pair casual 〜けど with stiff 〜が in the same breath. Keep clause 1 and the overall tone consistent: 高いけど買う (casual) or 高いですが買います (polite).
- Forgetting だ before けど on nouns. A plain noun needs だ: 学生だけど ("(I'm) a student, but…"), not 学生けど.
- Using けど/が for a reason. "But" contrasts; it doesn't explain why. For a reason ("because"), use 〜から instead: 高いから買わない ("I won't buy it because it's expensive").
Quick recap
けどandが= "but / although," placed between two clauses.- Register: が formal/written, けど casual; けれど・けれども sit in between.
- Both attach to plain or polite forms; nouns/な-adjectives need だ/です first.
- They also work as a polite softener (すみませんが…) with no real contrast.
- Don't mix up but-が with subject-が — different words.
Your turn
Choose the correct use of けど / が to mean 'but'.
Start the 5-question drill →Take the full N5 〜けど / 〜が drill →
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between けど and が?
They mean the same thing — 'but' / 'although.' The difference is register: が is more formal and common in writing, while けど is conversational. けれど and けれども fall in between.
Is this が the same as the subject particle が?
No. This が is a conjunction ('but') that ends a clause. The subject marker が follows a noun (雨が降る). They're spelled the same but do completely different jobs.
How do I attach けど or が to a noun?
Add だ (casual) or です (polite) first: 学生だけど or 学生ですが ('(I'm) a student, but…'). You can't put けど/が straight onto a bare noun.
Why do people say すみませんが…?
Here が isn't contrasting anything — it's a softener that politely leads into a request or question, like 'Excuse me, but…' in English. けど works the same way.