Japanese Grammar Bank

CONTRAST IN JAPANESE

Expressing contrast in Japanese is an essential skill that allows you to convey differences, unexpected results, and opposing ideas effectively.

This lesson will cover several ways to express contrast, including the use of が, けど/けれど, しかし and more.

USING が FOR CONTRAST

が ga

The particle が is often used to contrast two clauses, similar to “but” in English.

It is commonly used in spoken and written Japanese to introduce a contrast between two statements.

PATTERN

Clause 1 + が + Clause 2

この本は面白いが、難しいです。This book is interesting, but difficult.
彼は学生ですが、働いています。He is a student, but he works.
日本料理は美味しいが、高いです。Japanese food is delicious, but expensive.
View More Examples:
彼女は親切ですが、少し厳しいです。Kanojo wa shinsetsu desu ga, sukoshi kibishii desu.She is kind, but a little strict.
天気は良いが、寒いです。Tenki wa yoi ga, samui desu.The weather is good, but it’s cold.

USING けど / けれど

けど kedo
けれど keredo

けど and けれど are casual and formal ways, respectively, to express contrast, similar to “but” or “however” in English.

けど is more commonly used in casual conversations, while けれど is more formal.

PATTERN

Clause 1 + けど / けれど + Clause 2

彼は忙しいけど、時間を作ってくれました。He is busy, but he made time for me.
この店は安いけれど、美味しいです。This restaurant is cheap, but the food is delicious.
View More Examples:
勉強したけど、試験に落ちました。I studied, but I failed the exam.
雨が降っているけれど、外出します。It’s raining, but I will go out.
彼は強いけど、優しいです。He is strong, but gentle.
今日は寒いけれど、外で遊びます。It’s cold today, but I will play outside.

USING しかし & でも FOR STRONG CONTRAST

しかし shikashi
でも demo

しかし and でも both mean “however” or “but,” used to indicate a strong contrast or unexpected result.

  • しかし is more formal and typically used in writing or formal speech
  • でも is more common in everyday conversation
PATTERN

Clause 1 + 。しかし、Clause 2

Clause 1 + 。でも、Clause 2

天気は良かったです。しかし、寒かったです。The weather was good. However, it was cold.
彼はお金持ちです。でも、幸せではありません。He is rich. But, he is not happy.
View More Examples:

Examples with しかし:

試験は難しかったです。しかし、合格しました。The exam was difficult. However, I passed.
彼女は若いです。しかし、とても賢いです。She is young. However, she is very smart.

Examples with でも:

仕事が忙しいです。でも、休みを取ります。Work is busy. But, I will take a day off.
今日は晴れています。でも、風が強いです。It’s sunny today. But, it’s very windy.

USING のに FOR UNEXPECTED CONTRAST

のに noni

The expression 〜のに is used to indicate an unexpected result or contrast, similar to “even though” or “despite” in English.

It shows a stronger sense of contradiction or unexpectedness than the other contrastive expressions.

PATTERN

Verb (plain form) + のに
い-adjective + のに
な-adjective + な + のに
Noun + なのに

勉強したのに、試験に落ちました。Even though I studied, I failed the exam.
この店は美味しいのに、空いています。Despite being delicious, this restaurant is empty.
View More Examples:
彼は親切なのに、友達が少ないです。Even though he is kind, he has few friends.
雨が降っているのに、外出しました。Despite it raining, I went out.
彼女は一生懸命働いたのに、昇進しませんでした。Even though she worked hard, she did not get promoted.
彼は若いのに、とても賢いです。Despite being young, he is very smart.

USING ながらも FOR CONCESSIVE CONTRAST

ながらも nagara mo

The expression ながらも is used to indicate a contrast between two actions or states, often showing that despite one action or state, another contrasting action or state occurs.

It is similar to “even though” or “although” in English.

PATTERN

Verb stem + ながらも
い-adjective (plain form) + ながらも
な-adjective (stem) + ながらも
Noun + ながらも

彼は忙しいながらも、時間を作ってくれました。Even though he is busy, he made time for me.
この店は小さいながらも、人気があります。Although this shop is small, it is popular.
View More Examples:
彼は若いながらも、非常に経験豊かです。Even though he is young, he is very experienced.
雨が降りながらも、彼は出かけました。 Even though it was raining, he went out.
彼女は病気ながらも、働き続けました。Despite being sick, she continued to work.
彼は疲れていながらも、運動を続けました。Even though he was tired, he continued to exercise.

ものの FOR CONTRADICTORY CONTRAST

The expression ものの is used to indicate a contrast where the second clause contradicts the expectation set by the first clause.

It is similar to “although” or “though” in English.

PATTERN

Verb (plain form) + ものの
い-adjective (plain form) + ものの
な-adjective + な + ものの
Noun + である + ものの

彼は勉強したものの、試験に落ちました。Although he studied, he failed the exam.
この店は安いものの、美味しくないです。Although this restaurant is cheap, the food is not tasty.
View More Examples:
彼女は親切なものの、友達が少ないです。Although she is kind, she has few friends.
彼は若いものの、非常に経験豊かです。Although he is young, he is very experienced.
雨が降るものの、彼は出かけました。Although it is raining, he went out.
彼は疲れているものの、運動を続けました。Although he is tired, he continued to exercise.

Learn Japanese with FlexiClasses

Book online classes with the best teachers in the industry.

REGISTER

FAQs

What is the difference with けど and しかし?

けど (kedo) and しかし (shikashi) both mean “but” or “however,” but they are used in different contexts.

けど is more casual and often used in everyday conversation. It typically connects two clauses within the same sentence.

On the other hand, しかし is more formal and is often used at the beginning of a new sentence to introduce a strong contrast or unexpected result

What is the difference with のに and ものの?

Both 〜のに and 〜ものの are used to express unexpected results, but they differ slightly in nuance and usage.

〜のに (noni) implies a stronger sense of contradiction or surprise, and it is used within a single sentence to show that the second part of the sentence is unexpected given the first part.

〜ものの (mono no) also shows contrast but is more formal and is used to indicate a theoretical expectation that is not met in reality. It is often used to emphasize a discrepancy between expectation and reality.

Is けれども interchangeable with けど?

けれども and けど can be used interchangeably in many contexts.

けれども (keredomo) is more formal and polite than けど (kedo). It is appropriate for both spoken and written language, especially in formal settings.

けど (kedo) is more casual and is typically used in everyday conversation.

How to use ながらも?

ながらも (nagara mo) is used to express contrast or concession, similar to “even though” or “although” in English.

It indicates that despite the first action or state, the second action or state occurs. This expression is useful for highlighting unexpected or contradictory results.

Grammar Structure:

Verb stem + ながらも

い-adjective (plain form) + ながらも

な-adjective (stem) + ながらも

Noun + ながらも

Example:

彼は忙しいながらも、時間を作ってくれました。
Kare wa isogashii nagara mo, jikan o tsukutte kuremashita.
Even though he is busy, he made time for me.

Where can I find more lessons like this?

Check out our Japanese Grammar Bank, where you’ll find lessons for levels A1, A2, B1 and B2.

Can I study in Japan with LTL?

Yes you can!

We now offer in person classes in Tokyo, Japan.

You can study in group or in 1-on-1 classes with your teacher, and even have the opportunity to live with a Japanese homestay family for more immersion in the culture.

Let’s talk about your project now 👋

MORE FREE LESSONS