Japanese Grammar Bank

JAPANESE COMPOUND SENTENCES

Just like in English or other languages, Japanese compound sentences are normally formed by connecting two or more sentences with conjunctions.

Let’s see how to build this type of sentences.

USING そして

We will first learn how to use そして (soshite).

The word そして is similar to the English word “and” or “also”.

It connects two sentences that share a related idea.

そして is very easy to use as you just need to add this word in between 2 independent sentences.

PATTERN

Sentence 1 + そして + Sentence 2

ここのラーメンは美味しいです。そして、安いです。Koko no ramen wa oishii desu. Soshite, yasui desu.The ramen here is delicious and affordable.
彼はかっこいい。そして、頭もいい。Kare wa kakkoii. Soshite, atama mo ii.He is cool and smart.
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今日スーパーに行きました。そして、お寿司を買いました。Kyou suupaa ni iki mashita. Soshite, osushi wo kai mashita.I went to supermarket today, and bought sushi.
今日は晴れでした。そして、気温も高かったです。Kyou wa hare deshita. Soshite, kion mo takakatta desu.It was sunny today, and temperature was also high.
早起きしました。そして、部屋の掃除をしました。Hayaoki shimashita. Soshite, heya no souji wo shimashita.I woke up early and cleaned my room.
サッカーをしました。そして、野球もしました。Sakkaa wo shimashita. Soshite, yakyuu mo shimashita.I played football, and played baseball too.

USING けど AND が

The word けど (kedo) and が (ga) is similar to the English word “but” or “however”.

They are used to express contrast, but が is slightly more formal than けど. 

PATTERN

Sentence 1 + けど / が + Sentence 2

NOTE || If the first sentence ends with a noun or な-adjective without any tense and you’re not using です, you need toadd だ before けど.

今日は暑いけど、明日は寒いです。Kyou wa atsui kedo, ashita wa samui desu.It is hot today, but it will be cold tomorrow.
疲れているけど、今日も残業だ。Tsukarete iru kedo, kyou mo zangyou da.I am tired, but I have to do overtime work today too.
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日本語の勉強は難しいけど、おもしろいです。Nihon go no benkyou wa muzukashii kedo, omoshiroi desu.Studying Japanese is difficult, but fun.
野球は上手じゃないですが、好きです。Yakyuu wa jouzu ja nai desu ga, suki desu.I am not good at playing baseball, but I like it.
お金はないが、心は豊かです。Okane wan ai ga, kokoro wa yutaka desu.I don’t have money, but I have a rich heart.
旅行に行きたいが、時間がない。Ryokou ni ikitai ga, jikan ga nai.I want to go to a trip, but I don’t have time.

USING から

The word から (kara) is similar to the English word “because”.

You might already know another から which means “from”, but in this lesson we use からto indicate a reason for something.

PATTERN

Sentence 1 + から, + Sentence 2

NOTE ll Sentence 1 should be a reason, and Sentence 2 should be a result.

時間がなかったから、昼ご飯を食べませんでした。Jikan ga nakatta kara, hiru gohan wo tabe masen deshita.I didn’t eat lunch because I was very busy.
息子はかしこいから、良い大学に行けました。Musuko wa kashikoi kara, ii daigaku ni ike mashita.My son was able to join a good university because he is smart.
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学生だから、お金がないです。Gakusei da kara okane ga nai desu.I don’t have money because I am a student.
この家はとても古いから、改装が必要です。Kono ie wa totemo hurui kara kaisou ga hitsuyou desu.The renovation is needed because this house is very old.
この公園はよく整備されているから、気にいっています。Kono kouen wa yoku seibi sarete iru kara kini itte imasu.I like this park because it is well maintained.
最近体重が増えているから、明日から頑張って運動をしよう。Saikin taijuu ga huete iru kara ashita kara ganbatte undou wo shiyou.I will do more exercise from tomorrow because I put on weight recently.
新しい地下鉄は駅が近いから便利です。Atarashii chikatetsu wa eki ga chikai kara benri desu.New metro is very convenient because the station is close by.

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FAQs

What is the main difference between そして and それに when connecting sentences?

そして is used to connect sentences with a sense of continuation or progression (like “and then” in English), while それに adds additional information or emphasizes a point, closer to “furthermore” or “in addition.”

Can けど and でも be used interchangeably to mean “but”?

けど is often used mid-sentence or at the end to soften a statement, while でも is more common at the start of a sentence to introduce contrast. They’re similar but used in different parts of a sentence.

When should I use が instead of けど to express “but”?

が is generally more formal than けど and is often used in written Japanese or polite contexts to introduce a contrasting statement.

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Learn more about but in Japanese here.

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