How to say "But" or "However" in Japanese – でも – JLPT N5 Grammar

In Japanese, there are several words that can be used to say “But” or “however” – such as kedo, shikashi, and demo.

Today we will look at the word でも and how it can be used in a Japanese conversation. It’s one of the most essential JLPT N5 grammar points.

In Japanese, the word for “However” or “But” is でも。

It usually appears at the beginning of a sentence after an initial concept.

For example:

日本人ともっと話したいです。でも、私の日本語はあまり上手ではありません。
nihonjin to motto hanashitai desu. demo, watashi no nihongo wa amari jouzu dewa arimasen.
I want to speak to Japanese people more. But my Japanese is not so good.

or

スーパーに行きました。でも、閉まっていた。
Suu-paa – ni ikimashita. demo, shmatteita.
I went to the supermarket, but it was closed

Demo is often used to start a new sentence or to connect two ideas together.

Try it yourself! We’ve compiled 30 other N5 grammar points, so check them out here to prepare the upcoming test!

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