けど・だけど

けど・だけど is a casual conjunction used to contrast two ideas or statements. It’s softer and more informal than しかし or but, and is common in everyday speech. It connects two clauses in the same sentence, with the first clause presenting something, and the second clause offering a contrasting or unexpected idea. Use it in casual conversation, messages, and hierarchical speech with friends, family, or peers. While けど is versatile, avoid using in formal writing; in formal contexts, prefer しかし or けれども.