JLPT N5 · Sentence patterns
でも (demo)
でも — “but / however” at the start of a sentence
In short · A conjunction placed at the start of a sentence to say something that goes against, or differs from, what came before. Very common in conversation.
Pattern
-
文＋。でも、＋文Sentence. でも, sentence (高いです。でも、買います。)
How to use it
Finish the first sentence, then start the next with でも. It works after both polite and plain sentences.
Natural in speech
でも sounds natural in conversation. In essays and formal writing, しかし is the better choice.
Difference from が and けど
が and けど join two parts inside one sentence. でも starts a new sentence.
Examples
-
高（たか）いです。でも、買（か）います。
Takai desu. Demo, kaimasu.
It's expensive. But I'll buy it.
-
疲（つか）れました。でも、まだ働（はたら）きます。
Tsukaremashita. Demo, mada hatarakimasu.
I'm tired. But I'll still work.
-
雨（あめ）です。でも、出（で）かけます。
Ame desu. Demo, dekakemasu.
It's raining. But I'm going out.
Common mistakes
- Do not put it in the middle of a sentence. To link within one sentence, use けど or が.
- In formal writing use しかし instead.
More grammar points
- だ / です だ / です — “A is B”
- どんな どんな～ — “what kind of ～”
- どうやって どうやって～ — asking “how / by what means”
- があります ～があります — “there is ～” (things)
- がほしい ～がほしい — “I want ～”
- がいます ～がいます — “there is ～” (people and animals)
- い-adjectives い-adjectives — adjectives ending in ～い
- 一緒（いっしょ）に 一緒に～ — “together (with)”
- じゃない・ではない ～じゃない / ～ではない — the negative of だ and です
- か～か A か B — “A or B”
- けど ～けど — casual “but / although”
- けれども ～けれども — a polite “but / although”
- な-adjectives な-adjectives — take な before a noun
- なる ～になる — “to become ～”
- んです ～んです — explaining the situation
- に行（い）く ～に行く — “go to do ～”
- にする ～にする — deciding on / choosing something
- のです ～のです — the explaining ending (casual: ～んです)
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