N3 Contrast, Comparison, and Concession

~ことは〜が: meaning, usage and examples

~ことは〜が means: it's true that... but... (concession).

Updated 9 November 2026 · By the My Senpai team · Spotted a mistake? Tell us

Examples

1. 中国語ちゅうごくごは話はなせることは話はなせるが、あまりうまくない。

   I can speak Chinese, but not that well.

2. この本ほんは、読よんだことは読よんだが、内容ないようを覚おぼえていない。

   It's true I read this book, but I don't remember the contents.

3. 駅えきから近ちかいことは近ちかいですが、部屋へやが少すこし古ふるいです。

   It is close to the station, true, but the apartment is a little old.

4. 宿題しゅくだいはやったことはやりましたが、半分はんぶんだけです。

   I did do my homework, but only half of it.

When to use it

Admits something is true, then limits it: 'it's true that X, but...'. The same word is repeated on both sides of ことは: 読よんだことは読よんだが 'I did read it, but'. Use it when the fact is true only in a weak or partial way, and the part after が is the real point.

Nuance

The second half is usually negative or disappointing. Neutral register; in polite speech say ことは〜ですが or ことは〜ましたが. The repeated verb can be polite on the second side: 行いくことは行いきますが.

Compare

Compare けど / が alone: 読よんだけど、覚おぼえていない just joins two facts. 読よんだことは読よんだが stresses that the first fact is only technically true. Compare ないことはない, which starts from a double negative: 読よめないことはない 'I can read it, more or less'.

Tip: Keep the tense matched: 行いったことは行いった (past) or 行いくことは行いく (future). Mixing 行いくことは行いった is a common mistake.