だが

• Reading: だが
• Romaji: da ga
• Formation: Sentence. + だが、+ Sentence

Meaning

A sentence-initial conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however,' used to express something that contrasts with or opposes what was stated in the preceding sentence. It is common in written and formal spoken Japanese.

だが functions as a contrastive conjunction placed at the beginning of a sentence. It is more direct and assertive than しかし and carries a slightly literary or authoritative tone. While both だが and しかし mean 'however,' だが is preferred in narrative writing, journalism, and decisive statements. It is less formal than しかしながら but more formal than でも. In casual conversation, けど or でも is preferred. だが connects independent sentences and cannot be used mid-sentence to connect clauses — for that purpose, が is used instead.

Examples

1. 彼の提案は魅力的だ。だが、実現には多くの課題がある。 His proposal is attractive. However, there are many challenges to realising it.
2. 新しいシステムは便利だ。だが、導入にはかなりのコストがかかる。 The new system is convenient. But introducing it costs a great deal.
3. 景気は回復傾向にある。だが、地方との格差は依然として大きい。 The economy is on a recovery trend. However, the gap with regional areas remains large.

Usage Guide

Context: written, narrative, journalism

Tone: assertive

Do Say

• この計画には賛成だ。だが、いくつかの修正が必要だと思う。
• 努力は認める。だが、結果が伴っていない。
• 彼は才能がある。だが、それだけでは成功できない。

Don't Say

• お腹が空いた。だが、ご飯を食べた。(Using だが for a sequence rather than a contrast — eating when hungry is natural, not contradictory) → お腹が空いた。だが、食べるものが何もなかった。
• 彼は優しいだが、面白い。(Inserting だが mid-sentence like が — だが is sentence-initial; use が for clause connection) → 彼は優しいが、面白い。

Origin & History

Contraction of the copula だ and the contrastive particle が. Originally a clause-connecting pattern that evolved into a sentence-initial conjunction in modern Japanese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal