〜けど / 〜けれど: The Casual 'But' Family
Joining two clauses with "but"
Put けど (or けれど/けれども) right after the first clause, and the second clause contrasts with it. All three mean exactly the same thing — the choice between them is just about how casual or polite the sentence sounds.
高いけど、買いたいです。
たかいけど、かいたいです。
It's expensive, but I want to buy it.
い-adjective + けど directly, no だ needed.
やったんは眠いけれど、モチとの約束があるから起きている。
やったんは ねむいけれど、もちとの やくそくが あるから おきている。
Yattan is sleepy, but he's staying awake because he has a promise to keep with Mochi.
Original example: けれど, a step more polite than けど.
雨が降っているけれども、散歩に行きます。
あめが ふっているけれども、さんぽに いきます。
It's raining, but I'm going for a walk.
けれども — the most formal of the three.
Form: attaches like が
けど/けれど/けれども attach exactly the way 〜が does — straight onto a plain or polite clause ending, with だ added after a bare noun or な-adjective.
| Clause 1 ends in… | Add | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Plain verb | 〜けど | 行くけど = (I) go, but… |
| い-adjective | 〜けど | 高いけど = expensive, but… |
| Noun / な-adj (plain) | だ + けど | 学生だけど = (I'm) a student, but… |
| Polite form | 〜けど | 行きますけど = (I) go, but… |
モチは元気だけれど、今日は少し疲れている。
もちは げんきだけれど、きょうは すこし つかれている。
Mochi is usually energetic, but today he's a little tired.
Noun/な-adj + だ + けれど.
Casual けど vs formal が
けど, けれど, and けれども live on the same casual-to-polite ladder as が, just at the informal end of it: けど → けれど → けれども → が. In everyday conversation, けど is by far the most common choice; save が for formal writing or polite speech.
The short version
- けど / けれど / けれども = "but / although" — same meaning, increasing politeness in that order.
- Attaches to: plain or polite clause endings; nouns/な-adjectives need だ first.
- Nuance/register: casual to semi-formal spoken Japanese.
- Don't confuse with: が, the fully formal/written version of the same connector.
Practice it
Choose the correct use of けど/けれど to join two contrasting clauses.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
Choose the grammar pattern that best completes the sentence.
高い＿＿＿、買いたいです。
More N5 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- The て-form — The て-form is the gateway to dozens of Japanese grammar patterns. Learn the conjugation rules for every verb group, the famous song trick, and see clear examples.
- 〜から — から has two everyday jobs: 'because' (giving a reason) and 'from' (a starting point in time or place). Learn how each works, how it differs from ので, with clear examples.
- 〜ので — 〜ので gives a reason in a soft, polite way ('because…'). Learn how it attaches, how it differs from から, and why it's the safer choice for explanations and excuses.
- 〜し — The particle し links plain-form reasons or qualities with an 'and what's more' nuance: 安いし、おいしい. Learn the formation, the implied-conclusion use, and how it pairs with から.
- 〜ないでください — 〜ないでください is the polite way to ask someone not to do something ('please don't…'). Learn the formation from the ない-form, with examples and how it pairs with 〜てください.
- 〜てはいけない — 〜てはいけない means 'must not / not allowed to.' Learn the て-form formation, the polite てはいけません, casual ちゃいけない/じゃいけない, and the だめ and ならない variants.