Grammar › Connectors › でも・しかし
でも & しかし
Two ways to open a sentence with "but". でも is the everyday, spoken one; しかし is formal and a little bookish — same meaning, different register.
The short version
Both go at the start of a new sentence, usually followed by a comma, to flip the direction: "…, however, …". でも is casual and everywhere in conversation. しかし is a step up in formality — you'll meet it in writing, news and speeches more than in chatty talk.
[statement]. でも、[contrast]. — casual "but"
[statement]. しかし、[contrast]. — formal "however"
でも — the everyday "but"
The default in conversation. It kicks off the objection, the exception, the change of mind.
でも今日、僕は…
But today, I… (casual "but" at the start)
しかし — the formal "however"
しかし signals a more considered, written-feeling contrast. It's common in monologues, essays and explanations.
しかし実際には、1年たってもあまり変わらないと思います。
However, in reality, even after a year it doesn't change much. (formal "however")
しかし、ゆっくり考えれば、そういうことにはなりません。
However, if you think slowly, it won't turn out that way. (formal "however")
Watch out
でも the connector ≠ でも the particle. This lesson is about sentence-initial でも ("but"). The same でも also attaches to a noun to mean "…or something / even" (お茶でも = "tea or something") — different job entirely.
🗣 In real speech, でも wins. Using しかし in casual chat sounds stiff, almost like a news anchor. Stick to でも with friends, and save しかし for writing or formal talks. You'll also hear でもね… as a softer "but, you know…".
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