GrammarJLPT N5
→ furthermore
Moreover; Furthermore; What's More
JLPT N5ConjunctionNeutral
しかも is a conjunction used to connect two sentences or clauses where the second one adds surprising, noteworthy, or emphatic additional information to the first. It carries the nuance of 'and on top of that' or 'what's more,' implying that the added information strengthens, intensifies, or makes the preceding statement even more remarkable. Unlike それに, which is a more casual and neutral way of adding information, しかも has a stronger rhetorical punch and emphasizes that the additional fact is unexpected or impressive given what was already stated. It can be used in both positive and negative contexts — for example, something is good and on top of that even better, or something is bad and on top of that even worse. In rare or older usage, しかも can carry a concessive meaning closer to 'nevertheless' or 'and yet,' though this usage is far less common in modern Japanese. しかも appears at the beginning of the second sentence or clause and is appropriate in both spoken and written Japanese across a wide range of registers.
Functions
#1 Adding emphatic positive information
Structure
Sentence A。しかも、Sentence B。
この店は安い。しかも、おいしい。
Here しかも introduces a second positive quality that makes the first statement even more impressive. The speaker is not simply listing two facts — the use of しかも emphasizes that being both cheap and delicious is a noteworthy combination. The listener is meant to feel that the second piece of information makes the overall evaluation even better than expected.This restaurant is cheap. What's more, it's delicious.
Structures
- Sentence connector
- Sentence A。しかも、Sentence B。
- Mid-sentence connector
- Clause A、しかも Clause B
Common mistakes
A common mistake is confusing しかも with しかし because they look similar; しかし means 'however' and introduces a contrast, while しかも primarily adds reinforcing information. Learners also sometimes use しかも when the second piece of information is not particularly noteworthy or surprising — in such cases, the simpler それに or そして would be more natural. Another error is placing しかも inside a clause like a particle rather than using it at the boundary between two sentences or clauses. Finally, some learners overuse the concessive 'nevertheless' meaning of しかも; in modern Japanese, this reading is relatively rare, and using それなのに or にもかかわらず is usually clearer for expressing 'despite that.'
Related
その上さらにそれにおまけになおしかし