connective N4 common casualpolitewritten
けれど — but / however / although
けれど
Meaning
- but / however / although — a register-neutral contrastive, used clause-finally to join two clauses or sentence-initially to open an objection
Key sentence
値段は高いけれど、買う価値がある。
It's expensive, but it's worth buying.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| plain or polite clause | [clause]けれど、[contrasting clause] | 行きましたけれど、誰もいませんでした |
Variants
けれども — fuller, more formal form けど — clipped, casual form
Examples
練習したけれど、うまくならなかった。
I practiced, but I didn't get any better.
失礼ですけれど、お名前を伺ってもいいですか。
Excuse me, but may I ask your name?
When you can't use it
- Like English 'but', a softening 〜けれど can also just preface a remark without a real contrast (前置き): お忙しいところ恐縮ですけれど…— here it sets up the request, not an objection.
Easily confused with
See けれど in real sentences
Jengo shows けれど 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.