Essential Conjunctions Cheat Sheet

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🟢 Beginner Level (JLPT N5–N4)

Focus: Daily conversation and basic sentence linking.

Japanese	English Meaning	Usage Note
だから	So / Therefore	Used in casual speech to show a result.
それで	And then / So	Used to lead into the next part of a story.
でも	But / However	The most common way to show contrast in conversation.
しかし	But / However	More formal than "Demo"; common in writing/polite speech.
そして	And / Then	Used to list actions or items in sequence.
それから	And then / After that	Used when one action follows another.
それに	Besides / Moreover	Used to add more information or reasons.
または	Or	Used to give choices (Formal).
それとも	Or	Used specifically in questions (A or B?).

🟡 Intermediate Level (JLPT N3–N2)

Focus: Logical flow, explanations, and smoother transitions.

Japanese	English Meaning	Usage Note
そこで	Because of that	Used when a situation leads someone to take action.
すると	Thereupon / Then	Used when one action causes an immediate, natural result.
したがって	Accordingly / Therefore	Very logical and formal; used in reports or speeches.
ところが	However / Even so	Used when the result is unexpected or surprising.
それなのに	Despite that	Often carries a feeling of "it shouldn't be this way."
つまり	In other words	Used to summarize or rephrase something simply.
なぜなら	Because...	Used to introduce a reason (usually ends with ~kara da).
例たとえば	For example	Used to provide specific instances.
ところで	By the way	Used to change the topic completely.
さて	Well / Now	Used to transition to the next main point or task.

🔴 Advanced Level (JLPT N1 / Business)

Focus: Formal writing, academic papers, and professional settings.

Japanese	English Meaning	Usage Note
ゆえに	Consequently / Therefore	Highly academic or literary; rarely used in speech.
よって	Therefore / Hence	Common in formal announcements, certificates, or logic.
ただし	Provided that / However	Used to add a condition or an exception to a rule.
もっとも	Although / Though	Used to add a nuanced correction to a previous statement.
および	And / As well as	Used in legal or very formal business documents.
かつ	And / At the same time	Used to describe two simultaneous qualities or states.
さらには	Furthermore	Adds an even stronger point than the previous ones.
すなわち	Namely / That is	Used to define something more precisely.
いわば	So to speak	Used when using a metaphor or analogy.