Conjunctions: しかし・でも・ところが・それで Compared [JLPT N4-N3]
By Nihongo to Japan · Updated July 3, 2026
Master the subtle differences among conjunctions to take your Japanese up a level!
Conjunctions: しかし・でも・ところが・それで
Conjunctions connect clauses, expressing logical relations. Common ones: しかし = ‘but, however' (a strong adversative, more written, formal); でも = ‘but, though' (adversative, more colloquial, casual); ところが = ‘however, unexpectedly' (adversative, with the unexpected, surprise, a big gap between before and after); それで = ‘therefore, so' (cause-effect, the consequence of the prior cause). E.g. 「忙しかった。しかし、休んだ」 (adversative), 「準備した。ところが、結果は悪かった」 (unexpected), 「雨だった。それで、中止した」 (cause-effect). ⚠️ Core: しかし/でも = adversative (but); ところが = an unexpected adversative; それで = cause-effect (so).
🧠 Core nuance: connecting clauses, expressing logical relations (adversative/cause-effect/unexpected)
The core is choosing the right conjunction by the logical relation between the clauses: ① しかし — a strong adversative ‘but, however' (more written, formal: 努力した。しかし、結果は良くなかった = I worked hard, but the result wasn't good); ② でも — adversative ‘but, though' (more colloquial, casual), the colloquial version of しかし (疲れた。でも、頑張る = I'm tired, but I'll keep going); ③ ところが — adversative ‘however, unexpectedly,' with the unexpected, surprise (a big gap, a result contrary to expectation: 準備万端だった。ところが、試合は中止になった = I was fully prepared, but unexpectedly the match was canceled); ④ それで — cause-effect ‘therefore, so' (the consequence of the prior cause) (雨が降った。それで、試合は中止になった = it rained, so the match was canceled). ⚠️ Core contrast: しかし/でも = a general adversative (but); ところが = an adversative with surprise (unexpectedly, a big gap); それで = cause-effect (so, not adversative!). ⚠️ Judging: contrary before/after (adversative) uses しかし/でも, contrary and unexpected uses ところが, cause-then-effect (consecutive) uses それで. Others: だから (so), そして (then), また (also). The distinction of N4 conjunctions.
📌 Conjunction Comparison
| Conjunction | Relation | Nuance |
|---|---|---|
| しかし | adversative (but) | more written, formal |
| でも | adversative (but) | more colloquial, casual |
| ところが | adversative (however) | with the unexpected, surprise |
| それで | cause-effect (so) | the consequence of the prior cause |
💬 Example Sentences
- 昨日は忙しかった。しかし、今日はゆっくり休むつもりだ。(Yesterday was busy. But today I plan to rest.) — しかし (adversative)
- 疲れた。でも、最後まで頑張る。(I'm tired. But I'll keep going to the end.) — でも (colloquial adversative)
- 彼は一生懸命準備した。ところが、結果は良くなかった。(He prepared hard. But unexpectedly, the result wasn't good.) — ところが (unexpected)
- 雨で試合が中止になった。それで、選手たちはがっかりした。(The match was canceled due to rain. So the players were disappointed.) — それで (cause-effect)
- 彼女は病気だった。しかし、今日は元気になった。(She was sick. But today she's recovered.) — しかし (adversative)
🔄 Compare: しかし vs でも vs ところが vs それで
| Conjunction | Relation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| しかし | adversative (but, written, strong) | 努力した。しかし失敗した |
| でも | adversative (but, colloquial) | 疲れた。でも頑張る |
| ところが | adversative + surprise (unexpectedly) | 準備した。ところが中止 |
| それで | cause-effect (so, consecutive) | 雨だ。それで中止 |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- それで is cause-effect: それで = therefore, so (consecutive, cause-then-effect), ✗ as adversative (don't confuse with しかし).
- しかし vs でも: same meaning, しかし more written, formal; でも more colloquial, casual.
- ところが carries surprise: ところが = adversative + the unexpected (unexpectedly, a big gap); a general adversative uses しかし.
- Choose by logic: adversative (contrary) uses しかし/でも/ところが, cause-effect (consecutive) uses それで/だから.
💡 Nuance & When to Use
Conjunctions connect clauses: しかし = adversative ‘but' (more written, formal), でも = adversative ‘but' (more colloquial, casual), ところが = adversative ‘however, unexpectedly' (with the unexpected, a big gap), それで = cause-effect ‘so' (the consequence of the prior cause). ⚠️ Core: しかし/でも a general adversative, ところが an unexpected adversative, それで cause-effect (consecutive, don't confuse with adversative). Judge by the logical relation between clauses. The distinction of N4 conjunctions. A must.
🎯 JLPT Exam Tips
- N4 core: しかし (adversative, written), でも (adversative, colloquial), ところが (adversative + surprise), それで (cause-effect, so).
- Core distinction: しかし/でも (general adversative) vs ところが (unexpected adversative) vs それで (cause-effect, consecutive).
- Judging: contrary before/after uses しかし/でも, contrary and surprising uses ところが, cause-then-effect uses それで.
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. 昨日は忙しかった。____、今日はゆっくり休むつもりだ。
(A) しかし (B) でも (C) ところが (D) それで
Q2. 彼は約束を忘れた。____、彼女は怒った。
(A) しかし (B) でも (C) ところが (D) それで
Q3. 試合は雨で中止になった。____、選手たちはがっかりした。
(A) しかし (B) でも (C) ところが (D) それで
Q4. 彼は一生懸命に準備した。____、結果は良くなかった。
(A) しかし (B) でも (C) ところが (D) それで
Q5. 彼女は病気だった。____、今日は元気になった。
(A) しかし (B) でも (C) ところが (D) それで
Answer Key
1. (D) それで ── cause-effect (busy yesterday, so I'll rest today); それで = and so.
2. (D) それで ── cause-effect (he forgot, so she got angry).
3. (D) それで ── cause-effect (the match was cancelled, so the players were disappointed).
4. (A) しかし ── a strong contrast (prepared hard, but the result was poor).
5. (C) ところが ── an unexpected result (she was sick, yet got better today); ところが = however, unexpectedly.