Discourse Connectors

Introduction

Discourse connectors link sentences and paragraphs, guiding the listener through your reasoning. These patterns signal summary, concession, transition, and conclusion.

Essential for coherent extended speech and writing at the intermediate level.

Themes

All Japanese Grammar Intermediate in This Chapter (11)

1. つまり つまり An adverb used to summarise or rephrase what has been previously stated. It functions like 'in other words,' 'that is to say,' or 'in sho...
2. ただ ただ An adverb that emphasises the idea of 'only,' 'merely,' or 'just.' It highlights that something is limited in scope, quantity, or signifi...
3. ただの ただの A pre-noun modifier meaning 'mere,' 'just a,' or 'ordinary,' used to downplay the significance or specialness of what follows. It implies...
4. すぐ すぐ An adverb expressing minimal temporal or physical distance, meaning 'immediately,' 'right away,' or 'right nearby.' It indicates that som...
5. ところ ところ A dependent noun used to express temporal phases of an action — 'about to do,' 'in the middle of doing,' or 'just did' — depending on the...
6. ところが ところが A conjunction used to present what actually happened or what is actually the case, in contrast to what was expected. It is similar to 'ho...
7. どころか どころか A conjunction indicating that someone or something is very far from an expected state or action. It means 'far from,' 'let alone,' or 'no...
8. それが それが An interjection that signals the speaker is about to provide an unexpected answer or piece of information that contradicts what the liste...
9. それは それは An interjection used when the speaker emphatically provides an expected or natural response to a situation. It conveys 'of course,' 'natu...
10. それでも それでも A conjunction meaning 'even so,' 'nevertheless,' or 'despite that.' It is used to express that the following statement holds true in spit...
11. 何しろ なにしろ An adverb indicating the speaker's emotive feeling about an extreme state or situation. It means 'after all,' 'at any rate,' or 'the fact...