Admittedly, but: 〜とはいえ
Noun・plain form + とはいえ ; at the start of a sentence: とはいえ、
Noun・plain form + とはいえ: “admittedly…, but”; you admit a real fact, then qualify it. At the start of a sentence: とはいえ、 = “that said”. For a hypothesis, としても.
In short
〜とはいえ: “admittedly…, but; although”; you acknowledge a real fact, then qualify or correct the expectation it creates (春とはいえ、まだ寒い, “it may be spring, but it's still cold”). At the start of a sentence, とはいえ、 means “that said, nevertheless”. Written and formal spoken style.
- 春とはいえ、朝晩はまだ寒い。はるとはいえ、あさばんはまださむい。It may be spring, but mornings and evenings are still cold.
- 仕事に慣れてきたとはいえ、まだ失敗も多い。しごとになれてきたとはいえ、まだしっぱいもおおい。I'm getting used to my job, but I still make lots of mistakes.
- 新製品は好評だ。とはいえ、楽観はできない。しんせいひんはこうひょうだ。とはいえ、らっかんはできない。The new product has been well received. That said, we can't afford to be complacent.
The basics
とはいえ is “even though one says that”. You start by admitting a real fact (it's spring, I'm getting used to it, the product is selling), then correct the impression it might give (it's warm, I don't make mistakes any more, everything's fine). It's English “admittedly…, but”, “it may be…, but”.
Placed on its own at the start of a sentence, とはいえ、 links two sentences: “that said, nevertheless”. Very common in articles, essays and speeches, it also works in formal speech.
It may be spring, but mornings and evenings are still cold.
- noun
- grammatical form
- other
- adjective
- 春とはいえ、朝晩はまだ寒い。はるとはいえ、あさばんはまださむい。It may be spring, but mornings and evenings are still cold.
- 安くなったとはいえ、まだ気軽に買える値段ではない。やすくなったとはいえ、まだきがるにかえるねだんではない。The price may have come down, but it's still not something just anyone can afford.
How to form it
After a noun or a な-adjective, だ can be dropped (春とはいえ or 春だとはいえ). After a verb or an い-adjective, the plain form. At the start of a sentence: とはいえ、 or とはいうものの、 (same meaning, a little more spoken).
| Before とはいえ | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Noun（だ）+ とはいえ | 春（だ）とはいえ |
| な-adjective | （だ）+ とはいえ | 便利だとはいえ |
| い-adjective | plain form | 安いとはいえ |
| Verb | plain form | 慣れてきたとはいえ |
| Start of a sentence | とはいえ、／とはいうものの、 | とはいえ、油断は禁物だ |
- スマートフォンは便利だとはいえ、使いすぎは目に悪い。すまーとふぉんはべんりだとはいえ、つかいすぎはめにわるい。Smartphones are handy, admittedly, but overuse is bad for your eyes.
- 試合には勝った。とはいうものの、内容には課題が残る。しあいにはかった。とはいうものの、ないようにはかだいがのこる。We won the match. That said, our play still needs work.
とはいえ, といえども, ものの or としても?
といえども is stronger and more solemn, and targets mainly a status (“even an expert”). ものの (N2) is very close to とはいえ, a little more written, but can't start a sentence on its own. けれども is the neutral everyday concession.
Careful: とはいえ concedes a real fact. For a hypothesis (“even if that happened”), you use としても or たとえ〜ても.
| Expression | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜とはいえ | real fact, then a qualification | 春とはいえ寒い |
| 〜といえども | even X (status), solemn | 王といえども |
| 〜ものの | although (written) | 買ったものの、使っていない |
| 〜としても | even if (hypothesis) | 失敗したとしても後悔しない |
- 高いパソコンを買ったものの、ほとんど使っていない。たかいぱそこんをかったものの、ほとんどつかっていない。I bought an expensive computer, but I hardly use it.
- たとえ失敗したとしても、挑戦したことは後悔しない。たとえしっぱいしたとしても、ちょうせんしたことはこうかいしない。Even if I failed, I wouldn't regret having tried.
Common mistakes
- Using it for a hypothesis: “×たとえ反対されたとはいえ” is wrong; for “even if”, you say たとえ〜ても or としても.
- Forgetting the contrast: the second part must correct the expectation created by the first (春 → but cold).
- Confusing it with とあって: とあって explains an observation (“given that”), とはいえ qualifies it (“admittedly, but”).
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the Kyūshū Line (Values and society) of the Shinkansen.