LESSON 29
Because and But

Phrases
I'm not going because I haven't any money.		O-kane ga arimasen. Da kara ikimasen. O-kane ga arimasen kara, ikimasen. O-kane ga nai kara, ikimasen.
I have some, so it's OK (don't worry).		Watashi arimas'. Da kara daijōbu des'. Watashi arimas' kara, daijōbu des'. Watashi aru kara, daijōbu.
It's OK, since he understands English.		Eigo ga wakarimas'. Da kara daijōbu des'. Eigo ga wakarimas' kara, daijōbu des'. Eigo ga wakaru kara, daijōbu.
It's no good because he doesn't understand English.		Eigo ga wakarimasen. Da kara. dame des'. Eigo ga wakarimasen kara, dame des'. Eigo ga wakaranai kara, dame.
I like it, so I'll buy it.		S'ki des'. Da kara, kaimas'. S'ki des' kara, kaimas'. S'ki da kara, kaimas'.
I like it, but I won't buy it.		S'ki des'. Keredomo, kaimasen. S'ki des'. Dakedo, kaimasen. S'ki des' keredomo, kaimasen. S'ki da keredomo, kaimasen.

Practice
A: Watashi wa Amerika e ikō to omo-tte ita keredomo, Eigo ga wakaranai kara, dame deshō ne.	B: Daijōbu des'. Watashi ga issho ni iku kara, daijōbu des'.
A: Anata wa Eigo ga jōzu des'-tte ne. ("They say your English is very good.")	B: Dō itashimash'te. Heta des' ("poor" or "clumsy"). Heta da keredomo ne, s'koshi dekiru kara, daijōbu des'. Yoku yomu koto ga dekiru keredomo, ammari ("overly," "too much") hanasu koto ga dekimasen ne.
A: Gakkō de benkyō shita deshō ne.	B: Hai, gakkō de wa, yomu koto o benkyō sh'ta keredomo, hana-su koto o benkyō shi-masen desh'ta ne.
A: Hanasu koto wa muzukashii des'-tte ne. ("It's hard to talk.")	B: Hai, sō des' ga ne, yomu koto wa yasashii des'. ("... it's easy to read.")
A: Nihongo wa chi-gaimas' ne. Hanasu koto wa yasashii kere-domo, yomu koto wa muzukashii des' ne.

Tips

To start a sentence off with “So...” or “Because of that...” you use the expression Da kara.... If you want to link the two sentences together into one, with the first sentence the reason for the second, you use the particle kara after the final verb of the first sentence. The verb can either remain in its polite form, or change to the plain form. To start of a sentence with “But...” or “However...” you use Keredomo... or Da kedo.... If you want, you can link the two sentences together by using keredomo (kedo) as a particle after the final verb of the first sentence, which can be either polite or plain. Another way to say “However...” is Sh’kashi.... Another way to link two sentences with a very weak meaning of “but” (sometimes “and”) is the particle ga, usually used with the polite form of the verb: Watashi wa Amerika-jin des’ ga, Tanaka san wa Nihon-jin des’. “I am an American, but (or and) Tanaka is a Japanese.”

A: I was thinking of going to America, but I don't understand English, so it wouldn't be any good, would it.	B: Don't worry. I'll go with you, so it'll be OK.
A: They say your English is very good.	B: Not at all. It's poor. I'm poor at it, but I can talk a little, so it'll be all right. I can read well, but I can't talk too well.
A: You must have studied it in school.	B: Yes, I learned to read in school, but I didn't learn to talk.
A: It's hard to talk, they say, isn't it.	B: Yes, it is, but it's easy to read.
A: Japanese is the opposite, isn't it. It's easy to talk, but it's hard to read.