しかし

Japanese

Etymology 1

Alternative spellings
然し 併し

/ɕikari ɕi/ → /ɕikaɕɕi/ → /ɕikaɕi/

Originally 然り (shikari, “being like so”, the 連用形 (ren'yōkei, “continuative or stem form”) of classical verb 然り (shikari, “to be like so”)) + し (shi, the 連体形 (rentaikei, “attributive form”) of past recollective auxiliary き (ki)). This abbreviated from shikari shi to shikasshi, and then shortened further to shikashi.

The initial sense may have been parseable as that [preceding statement] being so, ..., much like English phrases such as be that as it may or that said, followed by a statement in opposition to the earlier statement.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) しか​し [shìkáꜜshì] (Nakadaka – [2])
• IPA^(key): [ɕi̥ka̠ɕi]

Conjunction

しかし • (shikashi) 

1. (formal) but, however
   • 1911, 与謝野晶子, 産屋物語:

     しかし男(おとこ)は必(かなら)ずしもそうと限(かぎ)りません。

     Shikashi otoko wa kanarazu shi mo sō to kagirimasen.

     But men are not always like that.

Alternative forms

• (informal, emphatic) しっかし (shikkashi)

Etymology 2

For pronunciation and definitions of しかし – see the following entries.

【私窩子】 [noun] prostitute

(This term, しかし, is the hiragana spelling of the above term.)

(The following entry is uncreated: 私窠子.)