“〜sore ni shite mo・〜sore ni shite wa”: Even So / Considering That [JLPT N2]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

「それにしても暑い」vs「3歳にしてはしっかり」 — “even so” vs “considering that, yet.”

「暑いとは聞いてたけど、それにしても暑い！」 — you accepted the premise, yet can't help exclaiming

Arriving in midsummer Kyoto, 「暑いとは聞いてたけど、それにしても暑い！」 (I'd heard it was hot, but even so, it's too hot!) — 「それにしても・それにしては」 are a pair differing by one kana but different in meaning: 「それにしても」 = even so, be that as it may (still … exclaiming); 「それにしては」 = for ～, considering ～ (yet it doesn't fit). This guide thoroughly separates this easily-confused pair.

Core: それにしても = still exclaiming, それにしては = yet doesn't fit

These two differ by one 「も／は,」 with different functions:

• それにしても = even so, be that as it may, still … (accepts a premise ＋ exclaims beyond expectation): それにしても、よく降るね (be that as it may, it really rains a lot). It first grants a premise, but then exclaims surprise, the unexpected (degree beyond imagining).
• それにしては = for ～, considering ～ (yet it doesn't fit): 新人だ。それにしては、落ち着いている (a newcomer, yet — considering that — remarkably composed). Taking a premise as the standard, then a situation not fitting that standard appears (a contrast/shortfall).

Feel: “even so, still ～ (exclaiming)／for ～, yet ～ (doesn't fit)” — 「それにしても」 stresses exclamation (accepting the premise but still finding the degree striking); 「それにしては」 stresses the gap (by that premise it should be X, yet it's Y).

Attachment & forms

Example sentences

• 渋滞は覚悟してた。それにしても、ひどすぎる。(I was braced for traffic. Even so, this is too much.) — exclaiming
• それにしても、彼はよく食べるなあ。(Be that as it may, he sure eats a lot.) — exclaiming
• 彼は新人だ。それにしては、堂々としている。(He's a newcomer, yet — for that — he's remarkably assured.) — doesn't fit
• 初めてにしては、うまく描けている。(For a first attempt, it's drawn well.) — against the standard
• 「安かった」「それにしては、いい品だね」(“It was cheap.” “For that price, it's a good item.”) — doesn't fit

⚠️ Where learners slip up

① 「それにしても」 vs 「それにしては」: exclaiming vs not fitting (one kana apart, different meaning). This is the key distinction. 「それにしても」 = even so, be that as it may, still … (exclaiming): it first accepts a premise (I know/heard it'd be ～), but then exclaims surprise, the unexpected — “(even factoring in that premise,) the degree still exceeds imagining”: (暑いのは知ってる) それにしても暑い (even knowing it'd be hot, it's still too hot). 「それにしては」 = for ～, considering ～ (yet it doesn't fit): taking a premise as the standard, a result appears that doesn't fit that standard — “(by that premise it should be X,) yet it's Y”: 新人だ、それにしては上手だ (a newcomer, who by that reckoning shouldn't be so good, yet is skilled). Test: what follows is “(beyond expectation) really is ～!,” an exclamation → それにしても; what follows is “by that premise it should be ～, yet ～,” a gap → それにしては. Mnemonic: も = even so, still exclaiming; は = for ～, yet doesn't fit.

② 「それにしても」 often expresses ‘exclamation at a degree.' The commonest use of 「それにしても」 is to express surprise, exclamation at something's degree — “(I know it'd be so, but) it's way too ～”: それにしても、高いなあ (even so, it's way too expensive), それにしても、よく続くね (it sure keeps going). It first grants a premise (accepting things are naturally so), then exclaims “the degree really exceeds imagining.” It can also shift topic (それにしても = by the way), leading into a new topic with a note of exclamation. So after 「それにしても」 there's usually a comment in an exclamatory tone.

③ 「それにしては」 carries a ‘should be X, yet Y' contrast/gap. The core of 「それにしては」 is to take the earlier-mentioned condition as a standard, measure the following result, and find it ‘doesn't fit that standard's expectation': 値段が安い。それにしては、品質がいい (the price is cheap. For that, the quality is good — beyond a cheap thing's expectation), 練習していない。それにしては、上手だ (no practice, yet — for that — skilled). It often carries “beyond what that condition would lead you to expect” (better or worse than expected). Note it's close in meaning to 「〜わりに (although ～, yet…).」 Test: to express “by that earlier condition it should be ～, yet it isn't” (a contrast/gap) → それにしては.

🔄 Compare: それにしても／それにしては／〜わりに／それでも

💡 An exam judgment tip

「それにしても」 and 「それにしては」 differ by one kana but differ in meaning — the key to remember: ① 「それにしても」 = even so, still ～ (exclaiming) — accepts a premise, but then exclaims “the degree still exceeds imagining” (暑いと知ってても、それにしても暑い), mostly surprise, and can also shift topic “by the way”; ② 「それにしては」 = for ～, yet ～ (doesn't fit) — takes a premise as a standard, the result not fitting that standard's expectation, with a contrast/gap (新人にしては上手 = skilled for a newcomer). Mnemonic: も = even so, still exclaiming; は = for ～, yet doesn't fit. Comparing relatives: 「それにしては」 is close to 「〜わりに (although ～, yet)」; for plain adversative “even so” use 〈それでも〉. This pair differs by one kana — use the wrong one and the meaning shifts, so remember “も exclaims, は doesn't fit.”

❓ Quick FAQ

Q: 「それにしても」 and 「それにしては」 differ by just 「も／は」 — how do I tell them apart?

Remember the mnemonic “も = even so, still exclaiming; は = for ～, yet doesn't fit.” 「それにしても」 = even so, be that as it may, still … (exclaiming): it first accepts, grants a premise (I know/heard things are so), but immediately expresses surprise, the unexpected — “(even counting in that premise,) the degree still surprises me”: 「今日は寒いって聞いてたけど、それにしても寒い (I'd heard it'd be cold today, but even so it's too cold)” — I grant the premise “it'd be cold,” yet still exclaim “way too cold.” Its focus is exclaiming that a degree exceeds imagining, usually followed by a surprised comment (〜すぎる, 〜なあ). 「それにしては」 = for ～, considering ～ (yet it doesn't fit): it takes the earlier condition as a measuring standard, then points out the result doesn't fit that standard's expectation: 「彼は新人だ。それにしては、落ち着いている (he's a newcomer. For that, he's remarkably composed)” — by the “newcomer” standard he should be nervous/green, yet the opposite. Its focus is the gap against that standard (the result better or worse than the standard's expectation). Method: what follows is “(beyond expectation) really too ～!” → それにしても (も); what follows is “by that condition it should be ～, yet it's ～” → それにしては (は). E.g. 「安いとは思ってたが、それにしても安い (I thought it'd be cheap, but even so it's too cheap)」 is exclaiming (それにしても); 「この値段。それにしては、質がいい (this price — for that, the quality is good)」 is not-fitting (それにしては). One 「も」 one 「は,」 one exclaiming one contrasting — don't mix them.

Q: 「それにしては」 and 「〜わりに」 seem very alike — are they the same?

Very close, often interchangeable, but the attachment and emphasis differ slightly. 「それにしては」 is a connective, at the sentence head picking up the prior text, its 「それ」 referring back to a condition already stated, meaning “for that condition, the result doesn't fit expectation”: 「彼女はまだ子供だ。それにしては、しっかりしている (she's still a child. For that, she's very grown-up).” 「〜わりに（は）」 attaches after a noun/plain form, expressing within one sentence “though it's ～ (with some expectation), the result doesn't fit”: 「子供のわりに、しっかりしている (grown-up for a child)」, 「値段のわりに、おいしい (tasty for the price).” The two mean nearly the same (both “doesn't fit the expected”), differing mainly in structure: 「それにしては」 is an independent connective, a new clause picking up (the condition was stated in a full sentence); 「〜わりに」 attaches after a word, within one sentence. So 「新人だ。それにしては上手だ」 ≈ 「新人のわりに（は）上手だ (skilled for a newcomer),” same meaning, one in two sentences, one within one. Test: to state the premise fully, then contrast in a new clause → それにしては; to concisely express “although ～, yet…” within one sentence → 〜わりに. Both correct — choose by your sentence structure.

🖊️ Practice Questions (5)

Q1. 「彼は3歳だ。___、しっかりしている。」(For his age, he's remarkably sensible)

(A) それにしては　(B) それにしても　(C) それなのに　(D) それでも

Q2. 「忙しいのは分かる。___、連絡くらいしてよ。」(That said)

(A) それにしても　(B) それにしては　(C) それゆえ　(D) そのため

Q3. 「新人だ。それにしては上手だ」の意味は?

(A) For a newcomer, they're quite good (out of proportion to the premise)

(B) A newcomer is naturally not good

(C) Not a newcomer

(D) All newcomers are good

Q4. 「それにしても」と「それにしては」の違いは?

(A) しても＝exclaiming on degree (that said);しては＝out of proportion to the premise (for ～, yet)

(B) The two are exactly the same

(C) しても＝out of proportion

(D) しては＝exclaiming on degree

Q5. 用法が自然なのは?

(A) 安物だ。それにしては丈夫だ。　(B) 初心者だ。それにしても(for comparison, use しては)。

(C) それにしては、なんて暑いんだ(for exclamation, use しても)。　(D) それにしてはだ高い。

Answer Explanations

1. (A) それにしては ── For a 3-year-old, remarkably sensible (out of proportion).

2. (A) それにしても ── That said (exclamation).

3. (A) ── For a newcomer, quite good.

4. (A) ── しても: exclamation; しては: out of proportion.

5. (A) ── 「安物だ。それにしては丈夫」 is correct.