Lesson 96: けど・それで・それに

N4 · Lesson 96 · 18 min — Link your sentences: although/but, so, and also

You already know ですけど, でも and だから. In this lesson, けど moves to the end of the plain form. You also learn two linking words that every storyteller uses: それで (so / and then?) and それに (and also). Start with the comic!

After this lesson, you can:

• Use plain form + けど to say "although ~, but ~": 引ひっ越こしたけど、わからない. Also use sentence-final けど to ask politely, for example when asking for directions.
• Use それで to say "so (and that's how it turned out)", and use "それで？" to ask someone to keep going.
• Use それに to add one more reason or good point: 安やすい。それに、おいしい。

The Reply That Never Arrived

Mr. Kuma said はな is the master's daughter, but nobody knows where she went. After closing, he continues. (引ひっ越こす = to move house)

Plain form + けど = although ~; それで = so; それに = and also. Next lesson, Mr. Kuma suddenly asks Grandpa's name...

Words for this lesson: keep talking

• けど (kedo): although ~, but ~ (at the end of a clause)
• けれども (keredomo): although ~, but ~ (more formal than けど)
• だけど (dakedo): but, however (at the start of a sentence)
• それで (sorede): so, therefore; and then?
• それに (soreni): and also, besides
• 引ひっ越こす (hikkosu): to move house
• 返事へんじ (henji): reply, answer
• 出だす (dasu): to send (a letter); to take out
• 戻もどって くる (modotte kuru): to come back; (a letter) gets returned
• 住所じゅうしょ (jūsho): address
• 届とどく (todoku): to arrive, to be delivered
• 変かわる (kawaru): to change, to become different (intransitive)
• 師匠ししょう (shishō): master (the teacher Mr. Kuma learned his craft from)
• 替かえ玉だま (kaedama): extra noodles (noodles only, no new soup)
• おくれる (okureru): to be late, to arrive late
• 熱ねつ (netsu): fever, temperature (熱ねつが ある = to have a fever)

Grammar 1 / 3: 〜けど

Plain form + けど = although ~, but ~: 引ひっ越こしたけど、わからない (nouns and na-adjectives need だ: 静しずかだけど)

• Plain form + けど: Verbs and i-adjectives attach directly in plain form: 引ひっ越こしたけど・行いかないけど・高たかいけど. Nouns and na-adjectives need だ: 学生がくせいだけど・静しずかだけど (past: だったけど). The ですけど and ますけど you learned before are the polite versions. The meaning is the same.
• けれども: more formal: けれども is the full form. It sounds more polite when you talk to teachers or older people, or when you write. けど is the shortened, spoken form for friends. The meaning is exactly the same: 高たかいけれども、買かいます。
• だけど at the start of a sentence: When the first sentence is finished and the next one starts with "but", use だけど. It is like でも, and both are common in everyday speech: 日本語にほんごは むずかしい。だけど、おもしろい。
• Sentence-final けど: a polite opening: When けど comes at the end and you don't finish, it means "Here is my situation... (can you help?)". It is useful for asking directions, ordering and making phone calls: すみません、上野うえの駅えきに 行いきたいんですけど……。Asking "上野うえの駅えきは どこですか" directly is also perfectly correct. Explaining your situation first just sounds softer.

• はなさんは 引ひっ越こしたけど、どこに いるか わからない。 — はな moved, but I don't know where she is.
• この 部屋へやは 静しずかだけど、駅えきから 遠とおい。 — This room is quiet, but it is far from the station.
• 高たかいけれども、買かいます。 — It is expensive, but I will buy it. (more formal)
• 日本語にほんごは むずかしい。だけど、おもしろい。 — Japanese is hard. But it's fun.
• すみません、上野うえの駅えきに 行いきたいんですけど…… — Excuse me, I'd like to go to Ueno Station... (asking directions)

Grammar 2 / 3: それで

それで = so, therefore (followed by a result that already happened or is already true); "それで？" = and then?

• Cause. それで, result.: The first sentence gives the reason. After それで comes the result: 電車でんしゃが 止とまりました。それで、おくれました。 It is like telling a story: "This happened, so it turned out like this."
• それで？ = And then?: If someone stops halfway and you want to hear the rest, say "それで？" or "それで、どうなったんですか". The second one is more polite, so use it with teachers and older people.
• No requests, invitations or plans afterward: Before things that haven't happened yet, like 〜て ください or 〜ましょう, don't use それで. Use だから: 雨あめです。だから、かさを 持もって 行いって ください。 It is fine after something that already happened: 熱ねつが ありました。それで、休やすみました。
• それで and だから: だから is stronger. You can follow it with your opinion or a request. それで is more neutral and explains how things went. In the comic, Mr. Kuma explains why the letter never arrived, so he uses それで.

• 住所じゅうしょが 変かわった。それで、手紙てがみが 届とどかなかった。 — The address changed. So the letter didn't arrive.
• 熱ねつが ありました。それで、学校がっこうを 休やすみました。 — I had a fever. So I took the day off from school.
• 電車でんしゃが 止とまりました。それで、おくれました。 — The train stopped. So I was late.
• きのう 浅草あさくさに 行いったんです。……それで？ — I went to Asakusa yesterday. ... And then?
• それで、どうなったんですか。 — And then? What happened?

Grammar 3 / 3: それに

それに = and also, besides: one more thing in the same direction (often used with も)

• A. それに, B.: After one point, add another point in the same direction: good plus good, or bad plus bad. 安やすい。それに、おいしい。
• Often used with も: The second half often has も to stress "this too ~": 寒さむいです。それに、雨あめも 降ふって います。
• Great for giving reasons: To explain why you won't go, or why you like something, one reason may not be enough. Add another with それに. Mr. Kuma uses it to explain why the letter never arrived: the address changed, and the shop name changed too.
• それに and そして: そして means "and then" and follows time order (I ate breakfast, and then went to school). それに means "and on top of that" and adds one more reason or good point to what you already said.

• この 店みせは 安やすい。それに、おいしい。 — This shop is cheap. And it's tasty.
• 寒さむいです。それに、雨あめも 降ふって います。 — It's so cold. And it's raining, too.
• この 部屋へやは 広ひろいです。それに、駅えきにも 近ちかいです。 — This room is spacious. And it's close to the station, too.
• 店長てんちょうは やさしいです。それに、ラーメンを 作つくるのが 上手じょうずです。 — The owner is gentle. And he's good at making ramen.
• 住所じゅうしょが 変かわった。それに、店みせの 名前なまえも 変かわった。 — The address changed. And the shop name changed, too.