Languages › Japanese What Is "Kedo" in Japanese? Share Flipboard Email Print Languages History & Culture Essential Japanese Vocabulary Japanese Grammar By Namiko Abe Japanese Language Expert B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University Namiko Abe is a Japanese language teacher and translator, as well as a Japanese calligraphy expert. She has been a freelance writer for nearly 20 years. our editorial process Namiko Abe Updated February 25, 2020 "Kedo" (sometimes "keredo") is a particle that follows a clause. It translates into "but." Kore wa chiisai desu kedo, omoi desu.これは小さいですけど、重いです。 This is small, but heavy. Yonda kedo, wakarimasen deshita. 読んだけど、分かりませんでした。 I read it, but I didn't understand it. In many cases when "kedo" is used at the end of a sentence, the original meaning "but" fades away, and it simply functions as a softener to avoid an abrupt remark. Yakyuu ga suki desu ka. 野球が好きですか。 Do you like baseball? Hai, suki desu kedo. はい、好きですけど。 Yes, I like it. When making a phone call and identifying yourself, "kedo" is often used as a softener. Tanaka desu kedo.田中ですけど。 This is Tanaka.