At a glance
Noun こそ～が picks out one point about something and admits that it is true ("it is true that the noun is ..."), then adds a contrasting point with が. It is mostly used in writing and formal speech.
[Noun] こそ [predicate] が、[contrasting point]
この店は値段こそ高いが、味はいい。 The prices at this restaurant are high, it's true, but the food is good.
How to form it
こそ goes right after the noun. The predicate before が can be any type:
| Predicate | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| い-adjective | 値段こそ高いが | The price is high, but |
| な-adjective | 広さこそ十分だが | The size is enough, but |
| Verb (past) | 時間こそかかったが | It did take time, but |
| Noun + だ | 規模こそ小さい会社だが | It is a small company in size, but |
In polite speech, use です or ます before が: 値段こそ高いですが. In casual speech, が is often replaced by けど.