が
“Life is for the gambler, it really is.” – Anthony de Mello
Like I mentioned before, if you can create two sentences, then you can use this grammar point. Let’s take a look:
a ビールは
I will drink beer
a オレンジジュースは
I will not drink orange juice
So, the question now is “how do I combine these two sentences into one, contrasting sentence?” I bet you could answer that question for yourself, you smart and good-looking person, you.
a ビールは
I will drink beer but I will not drink orange juice.
You could also flip it around if the opposite is true.
a オレンジジュースは
I don’t drink orange juice but I do drink beer.
You can also add this to nouns or adjectives.
a ボビーさんは高いですがやさしいです。
Bobby is tall but he is nice.
a ひとみさんは学生ですがぜんぜん
Hitomi is a student but she doesn’t study at all!
Before moving on, just make sure that you understand these sentences and how they work. See how the が just connects two sentences so easily? Let’s talk about some of the little nuances and rules that go along with this before you practice が as “but.”