At a glance
ところが means "however" or "but" when what happened next was different from what you expected. It starts the second sentence and shows surprise at the result.
[Sentence A]。ところが、[Sentence B]。
急いで駅へ行った。ところが、電車はもう出ていた。 I hurried to the station. But the train had already left.
How to form it
ところが is a connector. It does not change form. The sentences around it can be polite or casual.
| Position | Example | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Start of sentence B, after sentence A ends with 。 | 電話しました。ところが、出ませんでした。 | Common in writing and when telling what happened |
| Same, in casual style | 電話した。ところが、出なかった。 | Used in speech when telling a story |
A comma usually follows it: ところが、