だけど

だけど is a casual conjunction meaning "but" or "however."

REGISTER:

• だけど: casual, conversational
• だけれど/だけれども: slightly more formal
• けど/けれど/けれども: after verbs/adjectives
• でも: casual, very common in speech
• しかし/だが: formal, written

USAGE:

• Placed at the beginning of a sentence or between clauses
• Common in everyday conversation
• Can soften statements or add hesitation

COMPARISON:

• だけど emphasizes contrast more clearly than けど
• Often used when the speaker is about to say something contradictory

VARIATION:

• {だ}けども is also used, slightly more emphatic