connective N2 uncommon casualpolite
それが — actually ~ / but (against expectation)
それが
Meaning
- actually ~ / but as it turned out ~ / well, the thing is ~ — prefaces a development that runs counter to what was expected
Sentence-opening それが flags that what follows defies the expectation just set up — your own, or the listener's. It's especially common as a reply that overturns an assumption: 「旅行は楽しかった?」「それが、ずっと雨で…」 ('Was the trip fun?' 'Well, actually, it rained the whole time…'). It promises a twist, so it leans into spoken, conversational Japanese.
Key sentence
うまくいくと思っていた。それが、土壇場で失敗してしまった。
I thought it would go well. But as it turned out, it fell apart at the last minute.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence-initial, often answering a question or following one's own setup | [expectation]。それが、[the twist]。 | 順調だった。それが、急に… |
When: Conversational; signals to the listener that an unexpected turn is coming. Frequently opens a reply that contradicts the question's assumption.
Examples
「もう終わった?」「それが、まだ半分も終わってないんだ。」
'Are you done?' 'Actually, I'm not even halfway through.'
晴れる予報だった。それが、朝から大雨だ。
The forecast said sunny. But here it is pouring since morning.
Easily confused with
ところが Both introduce a surprising actual result. ところが is a touch more written/narrative ('however, contrary to expectation'); それが is conversational and often opens a *reply* that upends what the other person assumed. それなのに それなのに = 'and yet', stressing a contradiction between two facts ('I studied hard, and yet I failed'); それが simply heralds an unexpected turn without framing it as unfair or contradictory.
Notes
- Don't confuse with それ + が as plain subject-marking (それが正解だ 'that's the right answer'). The connective それが stands alone at the head of a sentence, usually set off by a pause.
See それが in real sentences
Jengo shows それが 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 Intermediate Japanese Grammar.