At a glance
ただし starts a second sentence that adds a condition or exception to the first one: "however", "provided that", "but only if". Statement A stays true in general, and B limits it.
A。ただし、B。
この部屋は自由に使えます。ただし、飲食は禁止です。 You can use this room freely. However, eating and drinking are not allowed.
How to form it
ただし is a connector. It goes at the start of the second sentence, usually followed by a comma.
| Where it goes | Example | Register |
|---|---|---|
| Start of sentence B, after A。 | 返品できます。ただし、使っていないものに限ります。 | Polite, common in notices and rules |
| Start of sentence B, casual speech | 行ってもいいよ。ただし、早く帰ってきてね。 | Casual, often when giving permission |
B often ends with limiting patterns such as ～に限ります, ～を除きます, ～場合は～, or ～てください.