How to Say ‘But / however’ in Japanese
でも
de mo
[deh moh]
💬 Usage Tip: [でも] = “but.” Useful for contrast: “Yes, but…”
🇯🇵 In Japan: Adding [でも] lets you disagree or add bad news politely—important in customer-service style conversations.
Phrase Breakdown
で
de
[deh]
but; however
で is part of でも. でも is used to add a contrast: “Yes, but…”. Often used when basic checks don’t solve the issue.
はい、でもお湯が出ません。
Yes, but hot water doesn’t come out.
も
mo
[moh]
also; even; but (part of でも)
も here combines with で to make でも (“but/however”). By itself も means “also/even.”
はい、でも直りません。
Yes, but it won’t be fixed.
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