Japanese Grammar In Its Natural Habitat
Wild Nihongo!
けれども / けど

けれども / けど

けれども / けど Japanese Grammar Lesson

Grammar Type: Conjunction

Essential Meaning: Although

Construction: Sentence 1 informal + けれども, Sentence 2

Notes:

  • けれども is a subordinating conjunction that corresponds to the English conjunctions “Although” or “Though“. In the structure Sentence 1 けれども, Sentence 2, Sentence 2 expresses a situation that occurs in spite of some expectation that is established in Sentence 1. Grammatically, けれども connects the subordinate Sentence 1 to the independent Sentence 2 (i.e. “Although S1, S2.“).
    • E.g. 僕ぼくはドイツ語ごがあまり好すきじゃないけれども勉強べんきょうしなければならない。[Although I don’t like German very much, I have to study.]
  • Because Sentence 1 is a subordinate clause, it typically takes an informal verb form. However, in very formal situations it is acceptable to use a formal verb ending.
    • E.g. この本ほんは高たかいですけれどもいい本ほんですよ。[Although this book is expensive, it’s a good book.]
  • けれども can be written informally as けれど, けども, or けど. From most to least formal: けれども > けれど > けども > けど.

Example Sentences:

私わたしは言いわなかったけれどもトムは知しっていた。[Although I didn’t say it, Tom knew it.]

この本ほんは高たかいけれどもいい本ほんですよ。[Although this book is expensive, it’s a good book.]

僕ぼくはドイツ語ごがあまり好すきじゃないけれども勉強べんきょうしなければならない。[Although I don’t like German very much, I have to study.]

大野おおのさんは九十きゅうじゅう歳さいだけれどもとても元気げんきだ。[Although Ono-san is 90 years old, she is very healthy.]

WILD Examples:

From 0:12, listen for the following line: 昔はとても強かった？そんなうわさもあるけれど、今はとっても弱いんだ。[It (Koiking) was super strong in the past? Although such a rumor does exist, Koiking is extremely weak nowadays.]

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