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kono apuri ha muryou desu ga, kuwasii tuuti ha yuuryou desu.

この　アプリ　は　無料むりょう　です　が、　詳くわしい　通知つうち　は　有料ゆうりょう　です。kono apuri ha muryou desu ga, kuwasii tuuti ha yuuryou desu.
This app is free, but detailed notifications are paid.
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Questions & Answers about kono apuri ha muryou desu ga, kuwasii tuuti ha yuuryou desu.

What is the particle が doing after です here? Is it the subject marker?

Here が is a conjunction meaning but, linking two clauses: 〜です が、〜. It’s not the subject marker.

  • Polite and common: …ですが、…
  • More casual: …けど、… / …けれど(も)、…
  • Sentence-initial “But”: でも、…
  • Formal “However”: しかし、…
Why are there two は particles? Is that okay?

Yes. は marks the topic and is often used for contrast: A は X ですが、B は Y. Here it contrasts two aspects:

  • このアプリは (as for the app) → free
  • 詳しい通知は (as for detailed notifications) → paid Repeating は is natural when contrasting two topics.
Are 無料 and 有料 adjectives or nouns?

They are nouns that behave like na-adjectives (nominal adjectives). As predicates, they take です/だ: 無料です／有料です. Before a noun, you typically use の, not な:

  • Natural: 無料のアプリ, 有料の機能
  • 無料な is rare and usually avoided.
Why isn’t there a な after 詳しい?
Because 詳しい (kuwashii) is an i-adjective. I-adjectives directly modify nouns: 詳しい通知 (“detailed notifications”). Na-adjectives would need な (e.g., 詳細な通知).
Can I use 詳細 instead of 詳しい? Any nuance difference?
  • 詳しい (i-adjective): “detailed,” natural and general-purpose.
  • 詳細 (noun/na-adjective): “detail(s),” more formal/technical. Both are fine: 詳しい通知 ≈ 詳細な通知. Also note the set phrase 詳しくは… (“as for details…”).
Can I use でも or けど instead of ですが?

Yes, with nuance differences:

  • ですが、 polite, mid-formal, within one sentence.
  • でも、 starts a new sentence: このアプリは無料です。でも、詳しい通知は有料です。
  • ですけど、 a bit more casual/spoken than ですが.
  • More formal alternative: ただし、詳しい通知は有料です。
Could I say 詳しい通知が有料です instead of は有料です?
Grammatically yes. が marks it as the subject and can sound like “it’s the detailed notifications (as opposed to other things) that are paid.” は makes it a contrastive topic, which fits policy/disclaimer style better. Both are acceptable; は feels more natural here.
Can I switch to plain form?

Yes:

  • Polite: このアプリは無料ですが、詳しい通知は有料です。
  • Plain: このアプリは無料だが、詳しい通知は有料だ。 Choose based on context (UI copy/politeness vs. casual note).
Is Japanese normally written with spaces like this?

No. Spaces are added here for learners. Normally you’d write: このアプリは無料ですが、詳しい通知は有料です。

How do you pronounce this sentence?

kono apuri wa muryō desu ga, kuwashii tsūchi wa yūryō desu.

  • Note: は is pronounced “wa.” Long vowels: ryō / tsū / yū. です often sounds like “des.”
Does 無料 mean “free” as in freedom?
No. 無料 means “free of charge.” “Free (freedom)” is 自由. So this is about cost, not liberty.
Is 通知 the same as お知らせ?

Not exactly.

  • 通知: technical/system “notifications” (e.g., push notifications = プッシュ通知).
  • お知らせ: “announcements/notices” to users, often as posts/messages in an app. Here 通知 is the right word.
What does 有料です literally mean? Other ways to say it?

有料です = “it’s fee-charging/paid.” Common alternatives:

  • 料金がかかります (“a fee applies”)
  • 有料になります (polite/softer business tone)
  • 有料となります (formal)
Can I reorder the clauses?
Yes: 詳しい通知は有料ですが、このアプリは無料です。 It’s grammatical. The original order introduces the good news first, which is a common presentation choice.