Japanese Conjunctions: Demo, Dakara, Soshite & More (N5–N4)

Additive Conjunctions (And / Also)

These conjunctions add information to what was just said. They range from casual conversation to formal academic writing.

Contrast Conjunctions (But / However)

These conjunctions introduce a contrasting or opposing idea. Register differences here are especially important — using the wrong one in an essay or job interview stands out immediately.

Cause & Result Conjunctions (So / Therefore)

These conjunctions show that the second sentence is a result or conclusion drawn from the first. Formality level varies widely.

Sequence Conjunctions (First / Next / Finally)

Use these when describing a series of steps — instructions, recipes, explanations, or narratives.

Example sequence: まず水を沸かします。次に野菜を入れます。最後に塩を加えます。 (First, boil water. Next, add vegetables. Finally, add salt.)

ので vs から vs だから: Key Differences

These three all express reason or cause, but their nuance and usage differ significantly. This is one of the most tested distinctions at N5–N4.

Key rule: ので and から connect two clauses within one sentence. だから always starts a new sentence. In formal writing, prefer ので over から whenever politeness matters.

See also: JLPT N5 Grammar Guide for how から and ので attach to different sentence endings.

Register Chart: Casual ↔ Formal Equivalents

5 Common Mistakes with Japanese Conjunctions

1. Using しかし in casual conversation. しかし is a formal written word. Dropping it into everyday chat with friends sounds unnatural and stiff — like saying "nevertheless" to your friend at lunch. Use でも in conversation and しかし in essays or formal writing.
2. Starting a formal essay with でも. The reverse problem: でも is too casual for academic or business writing. If you are writing a formal essay or business report, begin contrast sentences with しかし or けれども instead.
3. Confusing ところが and でも. ところが specifically implies the result was unexpected or contrary to what was anticipated — it carries an element of surprise. でも is neutral contrast with no surprise implied. Using ところが for ordinary contrast sounds as if you are claiming every contradiction is shocking.
4. Using それから for "therefore". それから means "after that" in a time sequence — it is not a causal conjunction. 疲れた。それから寝た = "I was tired. After that, I slept." 疲れた。だから寝た = "I was tired. So I slept." The first describes a sequence; the second expresses cause and result. They are not interchangeable.
5. Overusing だから in formal writing. だから is a casual spoken conjunction that marks the speaker's personal conclusion. In formal essays, business reports, or academic papers, it reads as childish or unprofessional. Use そのため or したがって in written formal contexts instead.

FAQ: Japanese Conjunctions

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