Two definitions of けれども


In this dictionary I checked, there are two definitions for
[けれども](http://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/srch/jn/%E3%81%91%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A9%E3%82%82/m0u/).
I also checked in my Japanese to English printed dictionary and there was only
one definition, but in my Japanese to Chinese printed dictionary, there were
two definitions as well.  
Unfortunately, I'm not good in Japanese and I can't read Chinese very well, so
I'm unable to find out the difference between the two definitions apart from
that one is labelled as a conjunction and the other as a conjunctive particle,
in both dictionaries, and that doesn't really explain anything to me.

Could someone please give me an explanation of the two けれどもs?




The first is marked `接` (short for
[接続詞{せつぞくし}](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%8E%A5%E7%B6%9A%E8%A9%9E#.E6.97.A5.E6.9C.AC.E8.AA.9E.E3.81.AE.E6.8E.A5.E7.B6.9A.E8.A9.9E)
"conjunction"), while the second is divided into `接助` (short for
[接続助詞{せつぞくじょし}
](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%8E%A5%E7%B6%9A%E5%8A%A9%E8%A9%9E#.E6.8E.A5.E7.B6.9A.E5.8A.A9.E8.A9.9E)
"conjunctive particle") and `終助` (short for
[[終助詞]{しゅうじょし}](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B5%82%E5%8A%A9%E8%A9%9E#.E7.B5.82.E5.8A.A9.E8.A9.9E)
"sentence-final particle").

So what's the difference? As it says, and as you can see from the examples,
they are different parts of speech. The conjunction can appear at the
beginning of a sentence, as in the example it gives:

> 「彼は頑固だ。 **けれども** 、話はわかる人間だ」

The conjunctive particle, however, appears after the 終止形{しゅうしけい} ("terminal
form") of an inflectable word (such as a verb or adjective). The dictionary
gives this example:

> 「年はとっている **けれども** 、実に活動的だ」

Compare the examples. The former is two sentences long because the
_conjunction_ `けれども` begins a new sentence; the latter is only one sentence
long because the _conjunctive particle_ `けれども` attaches directly to the verb.

Finally, there's also the _sentence-final particle_ `けれども`. Much like the
conjunctive particle `けれども`, the sentence-final version appears after the
terminal form of an inflectable word. Unlike the conjunctive particle,
however, it ends the sentence. See this example from
[プログレッシブ和英中辞典](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%91%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A9%E3%82%82&dtype=3&dname=2na&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=01323000):

> お願いがあるんです **けれど**  
>  I have a favor to ask of you.

In this answer, I've focused only on the difference between parts of speech.
However, the sentence-final version of `けれども` is also _semantically_
different. Since that semantic difference has already been covered in a
separate question, I will refer to it here—please see [けど at the end of the
sentence?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2086/%E3%81%91%E3%81%A9-at-
the-end-of-the-sentence).




The first is marked `接` (short for
[接続詞{せつぞくし}](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%8E%A5%E7%B6%9A%E8%A9%9E#.E6.97.A5.E6.9C.AC.E8.AA.9E.E3.81.AE.E6.8E.A5.E7.B6.9A.E8.A9.9E)
"conjunction"), while the second is divided into `接助` (short for
[接続助詞{せつぞくじょし}
](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%8E%A5%E7%B6%9A%E5%8A%A9%E8%A9%9E#.E6.8E.A5.E7.B6.9A.E5.8A.A9.E8.A9.9E)
"conjunctive particle") and `終助` (short for
[[終助詞]{しゅうじょし}](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B5%82%E5%8A%A9%E8%A9%9E#.E7.B5.82.E5.8A.A9.E8.A9.9E)
"sentence-final particle").

So what's the difference? As it says, and as you can see from the examples,
they are different parts of speech. The conjunction can appear at the
beginning of a sentence, as in the example it gives:

> 「彼は頑固だ。 **けれども** 、話はわかる人間だ」

The conjunctive particle, however, appears after the 終止形{しゅうしけい} ("terminal
form") of an inflectable word (such as a verb or adjective). The dictionary
gives this example:

> 「年はとっている **けれども** 、実に活動的だ」

Compare the examples. The former is two sentences long because the
_conjunction_ `けれども` begins a new sentence; the latter is only one sentence
long because the _conjunctive particle_ `けれども` attaches directly to the verb.

Finally, there's also the _sentence-final particle_ `けれども`. Much like the
conjunctive particle `けれども`, the sentence-final version appears after the
terminal form of an inflectable word. Unlike the conjunctive particle,
however, it ends the sentence. See this example from
[プログレッシブ和英中辞典](http://dic.yahoo.co.jp/dsearch?enc=UTF-8&p=%E3%81%91%E3%82%8C%E3%81%A9%E3%82%82&dtype=3&dname=2na&stype=0&pagenum=1&index=01323000):

> お願いがあるんです **けれど**  
>  I have a favor to ask of you.

In this answer, I've focused only on the difference between parts of speech.
However, the sentence-final version of `けれども` is also _semantically_
different. Since that semantic difference has already been covered in a
separate question, I will refer to it here—please see [けど at the end of the
sentence?](https://japanese.stackexchange.com/questions/2086/%E3%81%91%E3%81%A9-at-
the-end-of-the-sentence).

