- And between nouns: と (パンとたまご). Between sentences: そして.
- But: でも (start of sentence), 〜が / けど (middle).
- So / therefore: だから. Because: 〜から or 〜ので.
- And then: それから.
And
English and splits into several Japanese words, depending on what you connect:
| Connects | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nouns (complete list) | と | いぬとねこ a dog and a cat |
| nouns (examples) | や | いぬやねこ dogs, cats and so on |
| sentences | そして | そして、ねました And (then) I slept. |
| actions in sequence | て-form | たべて、ねました I ate and slept. |
Linking actions with the て-form is explained in the て-form guide.
But
- にほんごはむずかしいです。でも、たのしいですnihongo wa muzukashii desu. demo, tanoshii desuJapanese is hard. But it’s fun.でも starts a new sentence.
- にほんごはむずかしいですが、たのしいですnihongo wa muzukashii desu ga, tanoshii desuJapanese is hard, but fun.が in the middle: a bit more formal.
- たかいけど、おいしいtakai kedo, oishiiIt’s expensive, but tasty.けど: casual.
Because and so
- あめですから、いきませんame desu kara, ikimasenBecause it’s raining, I won’t go.Reason + から.
- あめなので、いきませんame na node, ikimasenSince it’s raining, I won’t go.ので: softer, more polite.
- あめです。だから、いきませんame desu. dakara, ikimasenIt’s raining. So I won’t go.
- どうしてですかdōshite desu kaWhy?
Then, after that, finally
- それからsorekaraand then, after that
- そのあとsono atoafter that
- さいごにsaigo nifinally, lastly
- まずmazufirst (of all)
- まず、シャワーをあびました。それから、あさごはんをたべましたmazu, shawā o abimashita. sorekara, asagohan o tabemashitaFirst I showered. Then I had breakfast.
More useful connectors
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| それに | besides, what’s more |
| たとえば | for example |
| つまり | in other words |
| じゃあ / では | well then, so |
| ところで | by the way |
Tell a short story
Put the connectors together and you can tell a little story about your day. Tap each sentence to hear it:
- きのうはしぶやにいきましたkinō wa Shibuya ni ikimashitaYesterday I went to Shibuya.
- まず、カフェでコーヒーをのみましたmazu, kafe de kōhī o nomimashitaFirst, I had coffee at a café.
- それから、かいものをしましたsorekara, kaimono o shimashitaThen I went shopping.
- でも、たかかったので、なにもかいませんでしたdemo, takakatta node, nani mo kaimasen deshitaBut it was expensive, so I didn’t buy anything.
- さいごに、ラーメンをたべましたsaigo ni, rāmen o tabemashitaFinally, I ate ramen.
While, before, after
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜まえに | before | ねるまえに before sleeping |
| 〜たあとで | after | たべたあとで after eating |
| 〜ながら | while (doing two things) | おんがくをききながら while listening to music |
| 〜とき | when | こどものとき when I was a child |
These use the plain form of verbs, explained in the Japanese plain form.
“It’s expensive, but tasty.” (casual)
“Bread and eggs” (complete list):
“So I won’t go.”
Frequently asked questions
How do you say and in Japanese?
Between nouns, use と (パンとたまご). For non-exhaustive lists, use や. Between sentences, use そして, and to connect actions, use the te-form.
How do you say but in Japanese?
Use でも at the start of a sentence, or が / けど in the middle: むずかしいですが、たのしいです (it's hard, but fun).
What is the difference between kara and node?
Both mean because. から is more direct and common in speech; ので sounds softer and more polite, often used for explanations and excuses.
How do you say before and after in Japanese?
Use 〜前に (mae ni) with the dictionary form for 'before' (寝る前に, before sleeping) and 〜た後で (ato de) with the past form for 'after' (食べた後で, after eating).