connective N3 common politewritten
だが — but / however
だが
Builds on だ
Meaning
- but / however — a formal, written-leaning contrastive that opens a sentence
Key sentence
全力を尽くした。だが、結果は出なかった。
I gave it my all. However, the results didn't come.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| sentence-initial | [statement]。だが、[contrasting statement]。 | 計画は完璧だった。だが… |
When: Writing, essays, news, and formal or dramatic speech. In casual conversation use だけど or けど.
Examples
技術は進歩した。だが、問題も増えた。
Technology advanced. But problems multiplied as well.
彼は若い。だが、判断力は確かだ。
He is young. Nevertheless, his judgment is sound.
Easily confused with
See だが in real sentences
Jengo shows だが the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.