Japanese Compound Sentences: から, ので, けど, が, し

So far you can make short sentences: “I eat sushi,” “That movie is good,” “I want to go to Japan.” Short lines like that sound stiff. Japanese speakers (and everyone else!) talk in longer, linked sentences.

“I didn’t go because I was busy.” “The movie was good, but too long.” “She’s smart, kind, and also funny.”

On this page you’ll learn how to link clauses with:

1. から — “because” (direct)
2. ので — “because” (softer / more polite)
3. けど / が — “but”
4. し — “and also / besides”
5. のに — “even though / despite”
6. 〜たり〜たりする — “do things like X and Y”

💡 Prerequisite: You need plain form—every pattern here puts plain form before the connector.

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1. から: “Because” (direct reason)

Pattern: [reason in plain form] + から, [result]

から is the most common, direct way to give a reason. Everyday conversation.

Examples:

1) 忙いそがしいから、行いかない。 (Isogashii kara, ikanai.) Because I’m busy, (I) won’t go.

2) 雨あめが降ふっているから、傘かさを持もって行いきましょう。 (Ame ga futte iru kara, kasa o motte ikimashou.) Because it’s raining, let’s take an umbrella.

3) 明日あしたテストがあるから、今日きょうは勉強べんきょうする。 (Ashita tesuto ga aru kara, kyou wa benkyou suru.) Because there’s a test tomorrow, (I’ll) study today.

Order can flip!

You can put the reason after the result:

行いかない。忙いそがしいから。 (Ikanai. Isogashii kara.) (I) won’t go. Because I’m busy.

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2. ので: “Because” (polite / soft)

Pattern: [reason in plain form] + ので, [result]

ので means the same as から, but sounds softer and more polite—like “because” vs a gentler “since/as.”

Examples:

1) 体からだの調子ちょうしが悪わるいので、今日きょうは休やすみます。 (Karada no choushi ga warui node, kyou wa yasumimasu.) Because I’m not feeling well, I’ll rest today.

2) 電車でんしゃが遅おくれたので、遅刻ちこくしました。 (Densha ga okureta node, chikoku shimashita.) Because the train was late, I arrived late.

⚠️ Special rule for ので: Before ので, na-adjectives and nouns use な, not だ:

• 静しずかなので... (Because it’s quiet...) ← not 静かだので
• 学生がくせいなので... (Because I’m a student...) ← not 学生だので

When to use から vs ので?

Aspect	から	ので
Tone	Direct, firm	Soft, polite
Fits	Friends, casual	Bosses, email, formal
Feel	Can sound defensive	Sounds more objective
After orders/invites	✅ OK	❌ Usually not

Side-by-side:

• 忙いそがしいから、行いかない。(Not going—busy.) — casual, direct
• 忙いそがしいので、行いけません。(Because I’m busy, I can’t go.) — polite, soft

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3. けど / が: “But”

Pattern: [clause A plain form] + けど / が, [clause B]

Both mean “but/however,” with different register:

Connector	Register	Notes
が	Formal	—
けれども	Formal	—
けれど	Semi-formal	—
けど	Casual	Most common

Examples:

1) 日本語にほんごは難むずかしいけど、楽たのしい。 (Nihongo wa muzukashii kedo, tanoshii.) Japanese is hard, but fun.

2) この店みせは安やすいけど、おいしい。 (Kono mise wa yasui kedo, oishii.) This place is cheap, but delicious.

3) 行いきたいが、時間じかんがない。 (Ikitai ga, jikan ga nai.) I want to go, but I don’t have time.

Special use: けど as a soft opener

Japanese often ends a line with けど as a gentle opener, with no real contrast:

すみません、ちょっと聞ききたいんですけど... (Sumimasen, chotto kikitai n desu kedo...) Excuse me, I’d like to ask something...

This isn’t contrastive “but”—more like “I have something to say, if that’s OK…” Very natural in conversation.

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4. し: “And also / besides”

Pattern: [reason 1 plain form] + し, [reason 2 plain form] + し, [conclusion]

し stacks reasons—“besides,” “and also.”

Examples:

1) 安やすいし、おいしいし、この店みせが好すき。 (Yasui shi, oishii shi, kono mise ga suki.) It’s cheap and tasty too—I like this place.

2) 雨あめだし、疲つかれたし、家いえにいよう。 (Ame da shi, tsukareta shi, ie ni iyou.) It’s raining and I’m tired too—let’s stay home.

3) 彼かれは頭あたまがいいし、やさしいし、かっこいい。 (Kare wa atama ga ii shi, yasashii shi, kakkoii.) He’s smart and kind and cool.

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5. のに: “Even though / despite”

Pattern: [clause A plain form] + のに, [unexpected clause B]

のに carries disappointment or surprise when the result clashes with expectation—like “even though” or “despite.”

Examples:

1) たくさん勉強べんきょうしたのに、テストに落おちた。 (Takusan benkyou shita noni, tesuto ni ochita.) Even though I studied a lot, I failed the test.

2) 約束やくそくしたのに、来こなかった。 (Yakusoku shita noni, konakatta.) Even though we promised, (they) didn’t come.

3) 高たかいのに、おいしくない。 (Takai noni, oishikunai.) Even though it’s expensive, it’s not tasty.

⚠️ Same rule as ので: Before のに, na-adjectives and nouns use な:

• 静しずかなのに... (Even though it’s quiet...)
• 日曜日にちようびなのに... (Even though it’s Sunday...)

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6. 〜たり〜たりする: “Do things like X and Y”

Pattern: [verb 1 past plain] + り, [verb 2 past plain] + り + する

Use this when listing sample activities, not a full inventory—like “I did stuff like…”

Formation: Take past plain (た/だ), add り.

Dictionary	Past	+ り
食たべる	食たべた	食たべたり
飲のむ	飲のんだ	飲のんだり
見みる	見みた	見みたり

Examples:

1) 週末しゅうまつは映画えいがを見みたり、友達ともだちと遊あそんだりします。 (Shuumatsu wa eiga o mitari, tomodachi to asondari shimasu.) On weekends (I) do things like watching movies and hanging out with friends.

2) 休やすみの日ひは本ほんを読よんだり、料理りょうりをしたりしています。 (Yasumi no hi wa hon o yondari, ryouri o shitari shite imasu.) On days off (I) do things like reading and cooking.

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7. Quick comparison

Pattern	Meaning	Tone	Example
から	Because	Direct, casual	暑あついから
ので	Because	Soft, polite	暑あついので
けど	But	Casual	高たかいけど
が	But	Formal	高たかいが
し	And also	Stacks reasons	安やすいし
のに	Even though	Surprise/disappointment	勉強べんきょうしたのに
〜たり〜たりする	Like X and Y	Sample activities	食たべたり飲のんだりする

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8. Practice

Q1: Combine: 「疲つかれた」+「早はやく寝ねる」 with から

Answer: 疲つかれたから、早はやく寝ねる。(Because I’m tired, I’ll go to bed early.)

Q2: Make Q1 more polite with ので

Answer: 疲つかれたので、早はやく寝ねます。(Because I’m tired, I’ll go to bed early.)

Q3: Link: 「日本語にほんごは難むずかしい」+「おもしろい」 with けど

Answer: 日本語にほんごは難むずかしいけど、おもしろい。(Japanese is hard, but interesting.)

Q4: Give 2 reasons you like this restaurant: cheap (安やすい) and close (近ちかい), with し

Answer: 安やすいし、近ちかいし、このレストランが好すき。(It’s cheap and close—I like this restaurant.)

Q5: Show disappointment: “Even though I studied a lot, the test was hard.”

Answer: たくさん勉強べんきょうしたのに、テストは難むずかしかった。

Q6: Weekend activities: watching anime + playing games, with 〜たり〜たりする

Answer: 週末しゅうまつはアニメAnimeを見みたり、ゲームをしたりします。

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New vocabulary

Kanji	Hiragana	Romaji	Meaning	Word class
雨あめ	あめ	ame	rain	noun
傘かさ	かさ	kasa	umbrella	noun
降ふる	ふる	furu	to fall (rain/snow)	godan verb
体からだ	からだ	karada	body	noun
調子ちょうし	ちょうし	choushi	condition	noun
電車でんしゃ	でんしゃ	densha	train	noun
遅刻ちこく	ちこく	chikoku	lateness	noun
約束やくそく	やくそく	yakusoku	promise	noun
落おちる	おちる	ochiru	to fall / fail	ichidan verb
疲つかれる	つかれる	tsukareru	to get tired	ichidan verb
暑あつい	あつい	atsui	hot	i-adj
近ちかい	ちかい	chikai	near	i-adj
週末しゅうまつ	しゅうまつ	shuumatsu	weekend	noun

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Conclusion

You can now build much more natural linked sentences. Keep this checklist:

• から = because (direct, casual) — most common
• ので = because (soft, polite) — bosses, email, formal settings
• けど / が = but — けど casual, が formal; けど also soft openers
• し = and also / besides — stack reasons
• のに = even though — surprise or disappointment
• 〜たり〜たりする = do things like X and Y
• Before ので and のに: na-adjectives/nouns take な (not だ)

Master these connectors and your Japanese will sound much closer to real speech.

Previous: ← Expressing wants: たい & ほしい Next: Adverbs →

Related reading:

• Plain form
• Basic grammar 3: te-form

頑張がんばって！ (Ganbatte / Keep going!)