GrammarJLPT N5
→ however
However; But
JLPT N5ConjunctionNeutral
しかし is a conjunction meaning "however" or "but," used at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a statement that contrasts with or contradicts what was said in the preceding sentence. It functions similarly to でも and けれども, but しかし sits in a neutral-to-slightly-formal register, making it equally at home in written essays, news reports, and composed spoken language. Compared to でも, which is casual and conversational, しかし carries a more composed, deliberate tone. Compared to だが, which is also formal but can sound blunt or masculine in speech, しかし is softer and more universally appropriate. Because it connects two independent sentences rather than two clauses within a single sentence, しかし always appears at the start of the second sentence, often followed by a comma (、) in writing.
Examples
Example #1
今日は暑いです。しかし、風があるので気持ちいいです。
Here しかし introduces a contrasting observation: although the first sentence describes uncomfortable heat, the second sentence presents an unexpectedly pleasant aspect. The conjunction signals to the listener or reader that the upcoming statement will oppose or qualify what was just said.It is hot today. However, since there is a breeze, it feels nice.
Structures
- Sentence connector
- Sentence A。 しかし、Sentence B。
Common mistakes
A common mistake is using しかし in the middle of a sentence to connect two clauses, the way けれども or が can be used (e.g., incorrectly saying 「暑いですしかし気持ちいいです」 as one sentence). しかし should begin a new sentence, not join two clauses. Another frequent error is overusing しかし in casual conversation where でも would sound much more natural; しかし can sound stiff or overly composed among friends. Learners also sometimes confuse しかし with ところが, but ところが carries a stronger sense of surprise at an unexpected turn of events, while しかし is a more general-purpose contrast marker.
Related
でもけれどもだがところがそれでも