でも does two different jobs in beginner Japanese. At the start of a sentence it means “but”. After a noun it means “even” (or, in invitations, “…or something”). It is JLPT N5 grammar, and you will hear it in almost every everyday conversation.
でも at the front of a sentence = “but.” でも after a noun = “even.” Where it sits tells you which one you are looking at.
What does でも mean?
でも has three common meanings at N5:
- But / however — when it opens a new sentence: 高いです。でも、おいしいです。 (It’s expensive. But it’s tasty.)
- Even — when it follows a noun: 子どもでも (even a child), 日曜日でも (even on Sunday).
- …or something — when it follows a noun in an invitation or suggestion: お茶でも (tea or something).
A fourth use grows out of the “even” meaning: after a question word, でも means “any-”. いつでも is “anytime,” だれでも is “anyone,” なんでも is “anything,” どこでも is “anywhere.” These come up constantly in shops, classrooms, and signs, so learn them as a set.
How to form でも
As a conjunction, でも stands at the very beginning of the second sentence, usually followed by a comma: 行きたいです。でも、時間がありません。 It does not attach to the end of the first clause. That is the job of けど or が.
As a particle, でも goes straight after a noun with nothing in between: 子どもでも, 雨でも, 先生でも. It replaces は, が, and を. You say 子どもでも分かります, not 子どもがでも.
With question words, the combination is fixed: いつでも, だれでも, なんでも, どこでも, どれでも. Use them with a positive verb. For “nobody” or “nothing,” Japanese uses question word + も with a negative verb instead (だれも来ません).
When is でも used?
The sentence-starting でも is the everyday spoken “but.” You use it when you state one thing and then add something that pulls the other way: an excuse, a problem, or a surprising second fact. It is fine in polite です/ます speech with teachers and coworkers.
In formal writing, such as reports, essays, and news articles, writers usually switch to しかし. In a JLPT reading passage written in a neutral style, you may see both, but in your own formal writing, しかし is the safer choice.
The noun + でも pattern shows up when something is true even in an extreme or unexpected case: working even on Sunday, a game going ahead even in the rain, a question even a child can answer.
The “or something” でも is a politeness tool. お茶でも飲みませんか doesn’t insist on tea; it leaves the other person room to choose. You hear it in invitations with ませんか and ましょう.
でも example sentences
行きたいです。でも、時間がありません。
I want to go. But I don't have time.
A：映画を見に行きませんか。 B：いいですね。でも、今日はちょっと…。
A: Want to go see a movie? B: Sounds nice. But today is a bit…
この問題は子どもでも分かります。
Even a child can understand this problem.
父は日曜日でも働きます。
My father works even on Sundays.
雨でも試合はあります。
The game is on even if it rains.
ちょっとお茶でも飲みませんか。
Would you like to have some tea or something?
いつでも電話してください。
Call me anytime.
In the second example, speaker B uses でも and then trails off. That unfinished でも、今日はちょっと… is one of the most common ways to turn down an invitation politely without ever saying “no.”
Nuance of でも
Sentence-initial でも often signals pushback. When someone suggests something and you answer with でも, you are raising an objection. That is why a string of でも、でも… from a child sounds like whining, and why answering your boss with でも can sound like you are making excuses. If you only want to add information, そして or それから is the neutral choice.
The noun + でも “even” meaning carries surprise about the extreme case. 日曜日でも働きます implies Sunday is the day you would least expect someone to work. Compare 日曜日も働きます, which just says “I also work on Sundays” with no surprise.
Watch for one trap: sometimes でも is really the particle で + も. 学校でも勉強します means “I study at school too” (で marks the place, も adds “too”). Context and the verb tell you which reading fits.
Quick test: if でも comes right after a period or at the start of a reply, it means “but.” If it comes right after a noun, try “even” first, then “…or something” if the sentence is an invitation.
でも vs けど
Both translate as “but,” but they sit in different places in the sentence.
The meaning is almost the same. The difference is punctuation and rhythm: でも creates a pause and a fresh start, けど keeps it all in one breath. けど also has no “even” meaning. 子どもけど is not Japanese. See the full breakdown in the けど lesson.
Common mistakes with でも
でも as “but” cannot hang off the end of a clause. End the first sentence, or use けど.
“Even if” with a verb uses the て-form + も, not でも. でも only follows nouns.
Question word + でも means “any-” with a positive verb. For “no one / nothing,” use question word + も with a negative verb.
Is でも on the JLPT?
Yes. でも is core N5 grammar, and the “any-” forms like いつでも and なんでも appear in N5 vocabulary lists too.
- In fill-in-the-blank questions, choose でも when the blank starts a new sentence after a period, and けど when it ends a clause.
- In listening, a reply that starts with でも usually means the speaker is declining or disagreeing.
- Tell apart だれでも (anyone) and だれも + negative (no one).
Practice questions for でも
Show answer
日本語は難しいです。でも、楽しいです。 — Japanese is difficult. But it's fun.
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この漢字は先生でも読めません。 — Even the teacher can't read this kanji.
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コーヒーでも飲みませんか。 — Want to grab a coffee or something?
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何でもいいです。 — Anything is fine.
Learning path for でも
Related grammar to review next
- けど: the clause-joining “but” that you choose when you don’t want to split the sentence.
- しかし: the written, formal version of sentence-initial でも.
- も: the particle behind でも’s “even” and いつでも / だれでも meanings.
- でも (or something): the N4 lesson that goes deeper into お茶でも-style suggestions.
- それでも: a stronger “even so” for when the contrast is surprising.
Learn でも with Hane
Hane drills でも alongside けど and しかし, so you pick the right “but” by where it sits in the sentence. Short daily reviews keep いつでも, だれでも, and なんでも ready for the N5. Start with Hane.
FAQ about でも
What does でも (demo) mean in Japanese?
でも (demo) means “but or even”. It is JLPT N5 grammar. でも has three common meanings at N5:
How do you form でも (demo)?
Sentence。 + でも、 + new sentence Noun + でも Question word + でも As a conjunction, でも stands at the very beginning of the second sentence, usually followed by a comma: 行きたいです。でも、時間がありません。 It does not attach to the end of the first clause.
What is the difference between でも and けど?
でも: starts a new sentence. けど: joins two clauses into one sentence.
What is an example sentence with でも (demo)?
行きたいです。でも、時間がありません。 — I want to go. But I don't have time.