Contrast & Concession

Introduction

Not everything follows a simple cause-and-effect pattern. Japanese has elegant ways to express "but", "although", and "even if" — essential for nuanced conversation.

These patterns help you express unexpected outcomes and contrasting ideas.

Themes

All Japanese Grammar Basic in This Chapter (11)

1. ～が (but/however) が A conjunction that connects two contrasting or unexpected clauses. The first clause states a situation, and the second clause presents a ...
2. ～けれども (but/although) けれども A conjunction meaning 'but' or 'although' that connects two clauses where the second provides contrasting or unexpected information. It h...
3. ～のに (even though/despite) のに Expresses a result that is contrary to what one would expect based on the preceding clause. It conveys the speaker's surprise, disappoint...
4. ～代わりに (instead of/in exchange for) かわりに Indicates that something replaces or substitutes for something else, or that one action is performed in place of another. It can also exp...
5. ～でも (even) でも A particle meaning 'even' that attaches to nouns and question words to indicate an extreme or inclusive example. It suggests that if some...
6. ～にしては (for/considering) にしては Expresses that something is contrary to or different from the standard or expectation associated with the preceding noun or verb. It conv...
7. ～としては (as/in the role of) としては A compound particle indicating a viewpoint or standard for comparison. It specifies the capacity, role, or category from which something ...
8. ～ほうが～より (more ~ than ~) ほうがより A comparative construction used to state that one thing has more of a quality or is preferred over another. The item marked with ほうが is t...
9. ～より (than) より A particle used to indicate the basis for comparison. The element marked by より is the one being compared against, and the predicate state...
10. ～より (from/since) より A particle indicating a set starting point in space or time. It is more formal than から and commonly appears in written notices, announcem...
11. ～一番 (the most/number one) いちばん An adverb meaning 'the most' or 'number one' that marks the superlative degree. When placed before an adjective or adverb, it indicates t...