Japanese Conjunctions: Complete List of 50 Connectors with Examples
Japanese conjunctions behave differently from English ones. In English, conjunctions sit between the clauses they connect: "I was tired, but I kept going." In Japanese, conjunctions almost always begin the second sentence — they are sentence-initial markers, not mid-sentence connectors:
疲れていました。でも、続けました。
(I was tired. But, I kept going.)
This distinction is critical. Placing でも, しかし, or だから in the middle of a sentence — the way English speakers intuitively try — usually produces an unnatural or ungrammatical result. The conjunction starts the next thought; it doesn't bridge two thoughts within one sentence.
The other major difference is register. Japanese has parallel sets of conjunctions across formality levels. でも and だから are casual spoken language. しかし and したがって are formal written language. Using the wrong register is one of the most common mistakes at the N3–N2 level.
Table 1 — Additive conjunctions (そして、また、さらに...)
These conjunctions add information — equivalent to English "and," "also," "moreover," "furthermore."
| Conjunction | Reading | Meaning | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| そして | そして | and (then), and also | Neutral | 勉強しました。そして、テストに合格しました。(I studied. And then, I passed the test.) |
| それから | それから | and then, after that | Neutral / Casual | 昼ご飯を食べた。それから、散歩した。(I ate lunch. After that, I went for a walk.) |
| また | また | also, in addition | Neutral | この店は安い。また、品質もいい。(This shop is cheap. Also, the quality is good.) |
| さらに | さらに | furthermore, even more | Formal / Written | 売り上げが増えた。さらに、コストも下がった。(Sales increased. Furthermore, costs also decreased.) |
| しかも | しかも | moreover, on top of that | Neutral | 料理がおいしい。しかも、安い。(The food is delicious. Moreover, it is cheap.) |
| その上 | そのうえ | in addition, on top of that | Formal / Written | 遅刻した。その上、宿題も忘れた。(I was late. On top of that, I forgot my homework.) |
| および | および | and (formal lists) | Written / Official | 社長および取締役が出席した。(The president and the directors attended.) |
| ならびに | ならびに | as well as (documents) | Written / Legal | 氏名ならびに住所をご記入ください。(Please fill in your name as well as your address.) |
| なお | なお | furthermore, please note (written) | Formal / Written | 申込は来月末まで。なお、詳細はサイトをご確認ください。(Applications are until end of next month. Please note, see the website for details.) |
| 加えて | くわえて | in addition, added to that | Formal | 経験が豊富だ。加えて、語学力も高い。(He has rich experience. In addition, his language skills are high.) |
Table 2 — Contrast conjunctions (でも、しかし、ところが...)
This table contains the most important nuance differences for learners. Japanese has six or more words that roughly mean "but" — each with a distinct feel.
| Conjunction | Reading | Meaning / Nuance | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| でも | でも | but, however — casual, everyday | Casual / Spoken | 行きたい。でも、お金がない。(I want to go. But, I don't have money.) |
| しかし | しかし | however — formal, written | Formal / Written | 計画は完璧だった。しかし、実行は難しかった。(The plan was perfect. However, execution was difficult.) |
| けれど / けれども | けれど | but — softer, slightly formal | Neutral | 疲れた。けれど、楽しかった。(I was tired. But it was fun.) |
| けど | けど | but — casual (short form of けれども) | Casual / Spoken | 高いけど、買いたい。(It's expensive, but I want to buy it.) |
| ところが | ところが | however — unexpected result, surprise | Neutral / Written | うまくいくと思った。ところが、失敗した。(I thought it would go well. However, it failed.) |
| それでも | それでも | even so, still, nevertheless | Neutral | 難しかった。それでも諦めなかった。(It was difficult. Even so, I didn't give up.) |
| むしろ | むしろ | rather, on the contrary | Neutral | 悪くなるどころか、むしろ改善した。(Far from getting worse, it rather improved.) |
| しかしながら | しかしながら | however (stronger, formal essays) | Formal / Written | 成果は出た。しかしながら、課題も残っている。(Results were achieved. However, challenges remain.) |
| 一方 | いっぽう | on the other hand | Formal / Written | A社は利益が増えた。一方、B社は減少した。(Company A's profits increased. On the other hand, Company B's decreased.) |
| とはいえ | とはいえ | that said, even so | Neutral / Written | 難しい。とはいえ、不可能ではない。(It is difficult. That said, it is not impossible.) |
Table 3 — Cause and result conjunctions (だから、したがって...)
These conjunctions express that what follows is a consequence or conclusion of what came before. The formality range here is especially wide — だから (casual) and ゆえに (archaic/formal) both mean "therefore" but are almost never interchangeable.
| Conjunction | Reading | Meaning / Nuance | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| だから | だから | so, therefore — casual | Casual / Spoken | 遅刻した。だから、怒られた。(I was late. So I got scolded.) |
| それで | それで | and so, so then — narrative | Neutral / Spoken | 雨が降った。それで、中止になった。(It rained. And so, it was cancelled.) |
| そのため | そのため | for that reason, therefore | Formal / Neutral | 交通渋滞があった。そのため、遅れた。(There was a traffic jam. For that reason, it was delayed.) |
| したがって | したがって | therefore, accordingly | Formal / Written | データが不足している。したがって、結論は出せない。(Data is insufficient. Therefore, no conclusion can be drawn.) |
| ゆえに | ゆえに | therefore, hence (literary) | Written / Literary | 我思う、ゆえに我あり。(I think, therefore I am.) |
| よって | よって | therefore, accordingly (legal/official) | Written / Official | 以上の理由よって、本申請を却下する。(For the above reasons, this application is rejected.) |
| その結果 | そのけっか | as a result | Neutral / Written | 毎日練習した。その結果、上手になった。(I practiced every day. As a result, I improved.) |
| それゆえ | それゆえ | therefore, for this reason | Formal / Written | 問題は複雑だ。それゆえ、時間が必要だ。(The problem is complex. Therefore, time is needed.) |
| こうして | こうして | in this way, thus | Neutral | 努力を続けた。こうして夢が叶った。(I continued my efforts. In this way, my dream came true.) |
| つまり | つまり | in other words, that means | Neutral | 合格点に達しなかった。つまり、不合格だ。(You didn't reach the passing score. In other words, you failed.) |
Table 4 — Sequence conjunctions (まず、次に、最後に...)
Sequence conjunctions are essential for instructions, recipes, procedures, and narratives. They tell the reader what order things happen in.
| Conjunction | Reading | Meaning | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| まず | まず | first, to begin with | Neutral | まず、材料を準備してください。(First, please prepare the ingredients.) |
| 次に | つぎに | next, then | Neutral | 次に、水を加えます。(Next, add water.) |
| それから | それから | after that, and then | Neutral / Casual | それから、よく混ぜてください。(After that, please mix well.) |
| そのあと | そのあと | after that | Casual / Neutral | そのあと、10分待ちます。(After that, wait 10 minutes.) |
| 続いて | つづいて | following that, next (events) | Formal / Written | 続いて、社長の挨拶があります。(Following that, there will be a greeting from the president.) |
| 最後に | さいごに | finally, lastly | Neutral | 最後に、全体を確認してください。(Finally, please check everything.) |
| はじめに | はじめに | first (in presentations) | Neutral / Formal | はじめに、自己紹介をします。(First, I will introduce myself.) |
| その後 | そのご | after that (written) | Formal / Written | その後、状況を報告します。(After that, we will report on the situation.) |
| 同時に | どうじに | at the same time | Neutral | 勉強しながら、同時に仕事もした。(I studied while simultaneously working.) |
| やがて | やがて | eventually, before long | Neutral / Written | 苦しんだ。やがて、光が見えてきた。(I struggled. Eventually, a light appeared.) |
Table 5 — Concession conjunctions (それでも、とはいえ、もっとも...)
Concession conjunctions acknowledge a point before limiting or qualifying it — similar to "even so," "that said," or "granted that" in English.
| Conjunction | Reading | Meaning / Nuance | Register | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| それでも | それでも | even so, still | Neutral | 無理だと言われた。それでも挑戦した。(I was told it was impossible. Even so, I challenged it.) |
| とはいえ | とはいえ | that said, be that as it may | Neutral / Written | 簡単ではない。とはいえ、不可能でもない。(It is not easy. That said, it is not impossible either.) |
| もっとも | もっとも | though, however (qualifier) | Formal / Written | 賛成します。もっとも、条件があります。(I agree. Though, there are conditions.) |
| ただし | ただし | however, provided that (exception) | Formal / Written | 参加できます。ただし、事前登録が必要です。(You can participate. However, prior registration is required.) |
| いずれにせよ | いずれにせよ | in any case, regardless | Neutral / Formal | いずれにせよ、決断しなければならない。(In any case, we must make a decision.) |
| ともかく | ともかく | anyway, at any rate | Casual / Neutral | 詳細はわからない。ともかく、やってみよう。(The details are unclear. Anyway, let's try.) |
| なんにせよ | なんにせよ | in any case (casual) | Casual | なんにせよ、諦めないことが大切だ。(In any case, not giving up is important.) |
| かといって | かといって | that said, but then again | Neutral | 行きたくない。かといって、断るのも難しい。(I don't want to go. But then again, refusing is also difficult.) |
| いくら〜ても | いくら〜ても | no matter how much | Neutral | いくら努力しても、限界がある。(No matter how much you try, there are limits.) |
| 〜にしても | 〜にしても | even if, even so | Neutral | 忙しいにしても、連絡くらいできるはずだ。(Even if you're busy, you should at least be able to contact.) |
Common mistakes with Japanese conjunctions
Mistake 1: でも at the end of a sentence (different usage)
でも at the START of a sentence = conjunction meaning "but":
✓ 行きたい。でも、忙しい。(I want to go. But, I'm busy.)
でも AFTER a noun = "even" or "or something":
✓ コーヒーでも飲みますか。(Would you like some coffee or something?)
✓ 子どもでもわかる。(Even a child understands.)
Mistake 2: Using だから in formal writing
✗ 予算が不足している。だから、プロジェクトを中止する。(Too casual for a business report)
✓ 予算が不足している。そのため、プロジェクトを中止する。(Appropriate for formal context)
Mistake 3: Confusing ところが with だから
ところが signals an UNEXPECTED result — the speaker was surprised or the result was contrary to expectations.
✗ 頑張った。ところが、合格した。(Odd — passing after effort is expected)
✓ 頑張った。ところが、不合格だった。(Natural — failing despite effort is unexpected)
✓ 頑張った。だから、合格した。(Natural — passing after effort is the expected cause-result)
Want to practise using these conjunctions in your own writing? ZISTICA MOJIIQ's free grammar checker will flag when you've used a conjunction in the wrong register or with unnatural word order, giving you a specific correction and explanation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between でも and しかし in Japanese?
でも is casual and spoken; しかし is formal and commonly used in written Japanese. Both mean "however" or "but," but using しかし in casual conversation sounds stiff and unnatural, while using でも in a business report or formal essay is too informal. けれど(も) sits in the middle — usable in both contexts.
How do Japanese conjunctions differ from English conjunctions?
English conjunctions connect two clauses within one sentence: "I was tired, but I kept going." Japanese conjunctions typically begin the second sentence entirely: 疲れていました。でも、続けました。This means Japanese conjunctions function more like English discourse markers (however, therefore, moreover) than like connectors within a sentence.
What is the difference between だから and それで in Japanese?
Both mean "therefore" or "so," but だから expresses the speaker's conclusion or reason, and can feel assertive. それで is more neutral and simply describes what followed as a result. だから is used in explanations and arguments; それで is used in narratives describing a sequence of events.
Can Japanese conjunctions appear in the middle of a sentence?
Most Japanese conjunctions go at the start of the second clause or the second sentence, not in the middle. However, some particles and connective forms embedded in verbs (〜て、〜が、〜けれど as clause-ending forms) do connect within a single sentence. The stand-alone conjunctions in this list are sentence-initial.
Which Japanese conjunctions are safe to use in formal writing?
For formal written Japanese, use: しかし (contrast), しかしながら (stronger contrast), そして / また (addition), したがって / ゆえに (result), なお (supplementary information), ところが (unexpected contrast), および (and, formal lists). Avoid: でも、だから、それで in formal essays or business documents.