For example, someone comes up to you and says “すみません。食品サンプルを探しているんですけど。どこで買えるか知っていますか？
I know it means like “Excuse me. I’m looking for food samples. Do you know where I can buy some?”
I’m not sure what the けど means in this context.
I also see it if a news reporter stops people on the streets for an interview, like “フジテレビなんですけど…”
2 comments
To my understanding, it’s used as a softener to make the sentence less abrupt. It generally makes the sentence sound nicer, especially when talking to strangers or making requests.
It also usually indicates there’s something coming after that sentence. (Edit: Sometimes there isn’t, and in those cases it just acts as a softener.) That you have a reason you said it, or something you’re building up to. You’re not just letting them know you’re looking for samples for no reason.