Meaning
Admits a fact and immediately qualifies it: 'I did watch it, but I don't remember a thing', 'it's cheap, all right, but…'. The same word appears before and after ことは, and the second half says the result is less than one might think.
Formation
- Vる ことは Vる が: 行く → 行くことは行くが
- Vた ことは Vた が: 見た → 見たことは見たが
- Vる ことは Vます が (polite): 話せる → 話せることは話せますが
- Aい ことは Aい が: 安い → 安いことは安いが
- Aな なことは Aだ が: 静か → 静かなことは静かだが
- ＋けど (casual): 好き → 好きなことは好きだけど
When to use it
- Where to use it
- In conversation when you partly agree, make an excuse or give a review: 「行ったことは行ったけど、すぐ帰った」 — 'I did go, but I left right away'; in reviews of flats, food or products.
- Where not to use it
- It does not link two different facts (that is plain が／けど) and does not mean 'even if' (that is ても). Without repeating the same word the pattern does not work.
Examples
20 sentences-
その映画は見たことは見たが、内容はよく覚えていない。
I did watch that film, but I don't really remember what it was about.
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このアパートは駅から近いことは近いが、とても狭い。
This apartment is close to the station, sure, but it's really cramped.
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パーティーには、行くことは行きますが、少し遅れます。
I will come to the party, but I'll be a little late.
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漢字は好きなことは好きだけど、覚えられない。
I do like kanji, but I just can't memorize them.
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安いことは安いですが、味はいまいちです。
It's cheap, all right, but the taste is nothing special.
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毎日練習したことは練習したが、試合では勝てなかった。
I practiced every day, yes, but I still couldn't win the match.
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行くことは行くけど、何時に出るの？
I'll go, I guess — but what time are we leaving?
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日本語は話せることは話せますが、敬語はまだ苦手です。
I can speak Japanese, sure, but I'm still not good at keigo.
12 more examples
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静かなことは静かだが、店が一軒もない。
It's quiet here, sure, but there isn't a single shop.
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薬を飲んだことは飲んだけど、まだ熱が下がらない。
I did take the medicine, but my fever still won't go down.
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宿題はやったことはやったけど、家に忘れてきた。
I did do my homework, but I left it at home.
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料理はできることはできるが、得意ではない。
I can cook, sure, but I'm not good at it.
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このかばんは軽いことは軽いが、小さすぎる。
This bag is light, all right, but it's too small.
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上司は親切なことは親切ですが、厳しすぎます。
My boss is kind enough, but he's far too strict.
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朝ごはんは食べることは食べますが、パンだけです。
I do eat breakfast, but just bread.
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便利なことは便利だけど、ちょっと高いね。
It's convenient, sure, but it's a bit pricey, isn't it?
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メールは送ったことは送ったけど、届いたかな？
I did send the email, but I wonder if it got there.
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今日は晴れていることは晴れているが、風が強くて寒い。
It's sunny today, true, but the wind is strong and it's cold.
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給料は高いことは高いですが、残業が多いです。
The pay is high, yes, but there's a lot of overtime.
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試合には出ることは出るが、たぶん後半だけだ。
I'll play in the match, all right, but probably only in the second half.
Important notes
- Politeness goes only in the second part: 話せることは話せます. The first part can be in the dictionary form or in the same form as the second (読むことは読んだ／読んだことは読んだ), but not the other way round: ✗ 読んだことは読む.
- It sounds like an admission with a reservation, often a mild excuse; it is rare in business letters.
Common mistakes
- ✗ 行ったことは行くが、すぐ帰った。 → ✓ 行ったことは行ったが、すぐ帰った。 — if the first part is past, the second must be past too.
- ✗ 静かのことは静かだが… → ✓ 静かなことは静かだが… — a な-adjective takes な before こと.
- ✗ 行きますことは行きますが、少し遅れます。 → ✓ 行くことは行きますが、少し遅れます。 — politeness goes only in the second part; before こと use the plain form.
Check yourself
Pick the translation of each sentence. The wrong options translate similar patterns, so watch the grammar rather than the words.
Similar grammar
- 〜が／けど／けれどもが／けど simply link two facts with 'but'; ことは〜が first confirms the very same action or quality and then qualifies it.
- 〜てもても means 'even if / even though' (the result does not depend on it); ことは〜が means 'yes, that's true, but…', admitting a fact with a reservation.
- ～にしてもにしても means 'even granting that'; ことは〜が states a confirmed fact with a reservation and repeats the same word.
- ～といってもといっても means 'although I say N, it's not much really'; ことは〜が means 'it is X, sure, but there's a catch'.
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