N1 Grammar ② といえども
といえども / にもかかわらず / とはいえ — advanced concession (N1 literary)
'Even experts make mistakes.' 'Despite the difficulties, they didn't give up.' 'That said, they have good judgment.' — three formal ways to acknowledge reality while pushing forward.
What you'll learn
- といえども: 'even though one is ~' (N1 literary, very formal)
- にもかかわらず: 'despite / in spite of' (most formal written concession)
- とはいえ: 'that said / even so' — acknowledges then pivots (semi-formal)
- Register: といえども ≈ にもかかわらず (very formal) > とはいえ
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