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HOW TO SAY ALTHOUGH IN JAPANESE
Today we will study how to express “although”, “despite”, and “nevertheless” in Japanese.
This is an advanced level grammar point that will surely help you build more complex sentences.
ALTHOUGH WITH けれども & けど
けれども keredomo
けど kedo
The conjunctions けれども (formal) and けど (formal and informal) are like “although” and are used to indicate a contrast between two ideas or situations.
Both けれども and けど can be used in both spoken and written Japanese.
To use けれども and けど you can just add it to verbs and i-adjectives.
PATTERN
Verb / Adjective + けれども / けど
HOWEVER || You need to add だ after nouns and na-adjectives before you add it to them.
| JAPANESE | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| 雨が降っていたけれども、散歩に行きました。 | Although it was raining, I still went for a walk. |
| 試験は難しかったけど、合格できました。 | Although the exam was difficult, I passed. |
DESPITE WITH にもかかわらず
にもかかわらず nimo kakawarazu
The conjunction にもかかわらず is like “despite” and is used to indicate a surprising or unexpected situation.
This is a formal and written form of expression. It is commonly used in academic writing, business documents, and official announcements.
For verbs and i-adjectives you can just add this as is.
PATTERN
Verb / i-Adjective + にもかかわらず
NOTE || For nouns and na-adjectives you need to add である before adding にもかかわらず.
| JAPANESE | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| 疲れていたにもかかわらず、仕事を終えるために遅くまで起きていました。 | Despite being tired, I stayed up late to finish my work. |
| 彼はお金がないにもかかわらず、旅行に行きたがっています。 | Despite having no money, he wants to go on a trip. |
NEVERTHELESS WITH それにもかかわらず
それにもかかわらず sore nimo kakawarazu
The conjunction それにもかかわらず is like “nevertheless” and is used to show that an action or situation is carried out despite an obstacle or difficulty.
This is a formal and written form of expression.
It is commonly used in formal speeches, business documents, and academic writing.
| JAPANESE | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| リスクがあるとわかっているけど、それにもかかわらずやってみるべきだと思う。 | I know it’s risky, but nevertheless I think we should give it a try. |
| 彼は失敗を繰り返した。それにもかかわらず、あきらめずに次に挑戦した。 | He kept making mistakes. Nevertheless, he did not give up and challenged himself again. |
ALTHOUGH WITH でも & それでも
でも demo
それでも sore demo
Language is never a completely straightforward thing, so it shouldn’t be surprising that there’s some crossover between “but” and todays points: although and despite in Japanese.
Both でも and それでも can be used to express “although” as well as “but”.
PATTERN
でも / それでも, + Sentence
今日は雨ですが、買い物に行きます。でも、傘を持って行きます。
It’s raining today, but I’m going shopping. Nevertheless, I’ll bring an umbrella.View More Examples:
| JAPANESE | ENGLISH |
|---|---|
| 彼女はお金がない。それでも、旅行に行く予定です。 | She doesn’t have any money. Even so, she’s planning to go on a trip. |
| 私は疲れています。でも、まだ仕事が残っています。 | I’m tired. However, there is still work left to do. |
| あのレストランはとても高い。それでも、たまに行きます。 | That restaurant is very expensive. Even so, I go there occasionally. |
SUMMARY
Here’s a summary of the important points we made today about although in Japanese:
- Although can be expressed using だけれども or だけど, both of which are relatively informal and can be used in both spoken and written Japanese.
- Despite can be expressed with にもかかわらず. It is a formal and written form of expression, commonly used in academic writing, business documents, and official announcements.
- Nevertheless can be expressed using それにもかかわらず. It is also a formal and written form of expression, commonly used in formal speeches, business documents, and academic writing.
- でも and それでも can also both be used to say but and although.
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FAQs
How do you say although in Japanese?
The conjunctions けれども (formal) and けど (formal and informal) are like “although” and are used to indicate a contrast between two ideas or situations.
Both けれども and けど can be used in both spoken and written Japanese.
To use けれども and けど you can just add it to verbs and i-adjectives.
HOWEVER || You need to add だ after nouns and na-adjectives before you add it to them.
Example:
雨が降っていたけれども、散歩に行きました。
Ame ga futte ita keredomo, sanpo ni ikimashita.
Although it was raining, I still went for a walk.
How do you say despite in Japanese?
The conjunction にもかかわらず is like “despite” and is used to indicate a surprising or unexpected situation.
This is a formal and written form of expression. It is commonly used in academic writing, business documents, and official announcements.
For verbs and i-adjectives you can just add this as is.
NOTE || For nouns and na-adjectives you need to add である before adding にもかかわらず.
Example:
彼はお金がないにもかかわらず、旅行に行きたがっています。
Kare wa okane ga nai ni mo kakawarazu, ryokou ni ikitagatte imasu.
Despite having no money, he wants to go on a trip.
How do you say nonetheless in Japanese?
The conjunction それにもかかわらず is like “nevertheless” and is used to show that an action or situation is carried out despite an obstacle or difficulty.
This is a formal and written form of expression.
It is commonly used in formal speeches, business documents, and academic writing.
Examples:
リスクがあるとわかっているけど、それにもかかわらずやってみるべきだと思う。
Risuku ga aru to wakatte iru kedo, sore ni mo kakawarazu yatte miru beki da to omou.
I know it’s risky, but nevertheless I think we should give it a try.y
How do you say after all in Japanese?
he Japanese expression for “after all” is それでもやはり (soredemo yahari).
This phrase is used to indicate that something is still true or relevant even after considering other factors.
You can use it in a variety of contexts, such as when you are expressing surprise, confirming a fact, or emphasising a point.
Place this word at the beginning of the second part of your sentence:
彼女は忙しい人だけど、それでもやはり私たちと会ってくれた。
Kanojo wa isogashii hito dakedo, soredemo yahari watashitachi to atte kureta.
She’s a busy person, but after all, she still met with us.
Check out the full lesson on after all in Japanese here.
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