しかし means however or but. It stands at the start of a sentence and tells the reader that what follows goes against what came before: 行きたいです。しかし、時間がありません。 (I want to go. However, I don’t have time.)
It is the “written” member of the N5 contrast family. You’ll see it constantly in textbooks, JLPT reading passages, news and essays, and much less often in relaxed conversation, where でも does the same job.
Full stop, then しかし, then a comma. That little rhythm is the whole grammar of this word.
What does しかし mean?
しかし is a conjunction (接続詞). It connects two separate sentences and signals a contrast between them. The first sentence sets up an idea or an expectation; the second, introduced by しかし, pushes against it.
Good English equivalents:
- however — the closest match in tone, since both feel written and a bit formal
- but — fine when you translate simple textbook sentences
- yet / still — when the second sentence is surprising: この店は安いです。しかし、おいしいです。 “This shop is cheap. Yet the food is good.”
Unlike English “but,” しかし does not sit in the middle of one sentence. Japanese puts “but” inside a sentence with が or けど, and puts しかし at the front of a new sentence.
How to form しかし
There is nothing to conjugate. You end the first sentence, start a new one with しかし, and usually add a comma (、) after it.
A few practical points:
- Sentence A ends normally, in です/ます or plain form. Whatever politeness level you use in A, keep the same in B.
- The comma is standard in writing. In very short sentences some writers skip it, but adding it is never wrong.
- しかし can start a new paragraph. In essays it often opens a paragraph that turns the argument around.
- Don’t stack it with another “but.” しかし、〜けど is redundant; pick one.
If you want the contrast inside one sentence, you need a different tool: 高いですが、便利です (it’s expensive, but convenient) with が, or 高いけど、便利だ with けど.
When is しかし used?
- Textbooks and graded readers. N5 reading material leans heavily on しかし because it keeps sentences short and the logic obvious.
- Essays, reports and letters. Any time you write in a neutral, “official” voice, しかし is the default contrast word.
- Speeches and presentations. Speakers use it to turn from a problem to a solution: 問題があります。しかし、……
- News. Announcers and articles use it to introduce an unexpected development.
In chats with friends, しかし sounds like you’re reading from a textbook. Swap it for でも, or build one sentence with けど.
There is one conversational use you may hear from older speakers: しかし as an opening sigh of surprise, like “Man…” or “Boy…”: しかし、暑いねえ。 (Man, it’s hot.) You don’t need to produce it at N5, but it helps to recognize it in dramas.
しかし example sentences
Sentences 3 and 5 show the most typical feeling: you’d expect the game to be cancelled, you’d expect the headache to be gone, and しかし announces that the expectation failed.
Nuance of しかし
It is formal and written. This is the biggest thing to know. しかし is completely correct in speech, but it gives your words the tone of a presentation or a textbook. In a job interview or a speech that’s perfect; over coffee with a friend it sounds stiff.
It marks a real turn. Sentence B has to go against A: a downside after an upside, a failure after an effort, a surprise after an expectation. If B simply adds more information in the same direction, you need そして, not しかし.
The weight falls on sentence B. Just like English “however,” whatever follows しかし is usually the point the writer wants to stress. この部屋は狭いです。しかし、駅から近いです leans toward “so it’s a good room.” Flip the order and the room starts to sound bad.
Reading tip: In JLPT reading passages, the sentence after しかし very often holds the answer to “what does the writer think?” Slow down when you see it.
しかし vs でも
Both start a new sentence and both mean “but.” The difference is register.
A quick way to choose: if the sentence ends in plain form (ない, だ) and you’re talking, use でも. If you’re writing a composition in です/ます, しかし fits naturally. When you want the contrast inside a single sentence instead, reach for けど in speech or が in polite writing.
Common mistakes with しかし
Is しかし on the JLPT?
Yes. しかし is JLPT N5 vocabulary and grammar, and it appears in almost every N5 reading passage.
In the grammar section you'll see two sentences with a blank between them. Read both, decide whether the second one continues or reverses the first, then pick the connector.
Practice questions for しかし
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アパートは小さいです。しかし、しずかです。 — The apartment is small. However, it's quiet.
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たくさん勉強しました。しかし、テストは難しかったです。 — I studied a lot. However, the test was difficult.
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日曜日は天気がよかったです。そして、公園へ行きました。 — The weather was nice on Sunday, and I went to the park. (No contrast, so そして.)
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肉は好きです。しかし、魚は好きではありません。 — I like meat. However, I don't like fish.
Learning path for しかし
Related grammar to review next
- でも — the spoken counterpart of しかし, used at the start of a sentence in conversation.
- けど — puts the contrast inside a single sentence instead of starting a new one.
- そして — the connector for adding information, which learners often confuse with しかし.
- けれども — a slightly more careful version of けど, closer to しかし in politeness.
Learn しかし with Hane
Hane trains しかし alongside そして, でも and けど, so you pick the right connector by feel. Try the N5 reading drills on Hane.
FAQ about しかし
What does しかし (shikashi) mean in Japanese?
しかし (shikashi) means “but; however”. It is JLPT N5 grammar. しかし is a conjunction (接続詞). It connects two separate sentences and signals a contrast between them. The first sentence sets up an idea or an expectation; the second, introduced by しかし, pushes against it.
How do you form しかし (shikashi)?
There is nothing to conjugate. You end the first sentence, start a new one with しかし, and usually add a comma (、) after it. Sentence A。 + しかし、 + Sentence B。 A few practical points: - Sentence A ends normally, in です/ます or plain form.
What is the difference between しかし and でも?
しかし: formal, written. でも: everyday, spoken.
What is an example sentence with しかし (shikashi)?
行きたいです。しかし、時間がありません。 — I want to go. However, I don't have time.