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でも

but (at the start of a sentence)

Sentence。でも、sentence。

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でも starts a new sentence that contrasts with the last one: 日本語は難しいです。でも、面白いです, "Japanese is hard. But it's interesting."

It's the conversational "but" for the start of a sentence. が and けど do the same job inside a sentence, joined to the first clause. でも can't go there: 難しいでも is wrong.

It's used in replies too, often to push back gently: でも、高いですよ, "but it's expensive, you know".

In writing and formal speech you'll see しかし, "however", in the same position. だけど is a casual alternative in speech.

Examples

  • 日本語にほんごは難むずかしいです。でも、面白おもしろいです。

    Japanese is hard. But it's interesting.

  • 行いきたかったです。でも、時間じかんがありませんでした。

    I wanted to go. But I didn't have time.

  • でも、高たかいですよ。

    But it's expensive, you know.

  • 雨あめが降ふっています。でも、出でかけます。

    It's raining. But I'm going out anyway.

  • 疲つかれました。でも、楽たのしかったです。

    I'm tired. But it was fun.

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