Japanese has many ways to say "although..." or "even if..." This article covers five essential N3 concessive expressions, helping you understand which carries emotion, which stays neutral, and which deals in hypotheticals.
のに: Despite... (with regret/frustration)
「のに」connects two facts where the second goes against expectations set by the first. The speaker usually feels regret or frustration:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| あの子はあまり食べられないのに、ご馳走をたくさん皿に取りたがる。 | Despite not being able to eat much, that kid wants to pile food on their plate. |
| 約束したのに、来なかった。 | Despite making a promise, they didn't come. |
Connection: Verb/adjective plain form + のに; な-adjective/noun + な + のに
のに vs けど
Both are concessive, but the tone differs:
- けど = objective: Although A, B
- のに = emotional: Despite A, B (with frustration/disappointment)
くせに: Despite... (with blame)
「くせに」is similar to「のに」but carries a stronger tone of blame/criticism — you clearly have this ability or condition, yet you won't do what you should:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 彼は余裕があるくせに、手を貸そうともしなかった。 | Despite having plenty of time, he wouldn't even lend a hand. |
| 知っているくせに、教えてくれない。 | Despite knowing, they won't tell me. |
Note: くせに can only be used about people, not things. And because it carries blame, it's not used toward superiors or elders.
| Comparison | Tone | Target |
|---|---|---|
| のに | Regret/frustration | People or things |
| くせに | Blame/criticism | People only |
ても: Even if... / Even though...
「ても」expresses that even if a certain condition occurs, the result won't change. It's the most versatile concessive expression:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| いくら食べても、太らない。 | No matter how much I eat, I don't gain weight. |
| たとえ雨が降っても、出かける。 | Even if it rains, I'm going out. |
Connection: Verb て-form + も; い-adj stem + くても; な-adj/noun + でも
Common Adverb Partners
「ても」frequently pairs with these adverbs:
| Adverb | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| たとえ | Even if | たとえ失敗しても、諦めない。 |
| いくら | No matter how much | いくら頼んでも、断られた。 |
| どんなに | No matter how | どんなに忙しくても、連絡する。 |
たところで: Even if you did, it's pointless
「たところで」is more pessimistic than「ても」— not only won't the result change, but the action is implied to be futile:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 今さら後悔したところで、もう遅い。 | Even if you regret it now, it's already too late. |
| 慌てたところで、どうにもならない。 | Even if you panic, nothing will change. |
Connection: Verb た-form + ところで
| Comparison | ても | たところで |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Neutral: even if | Pessimistic: pointless even if |
| Focus | Condition doesn't affect result | Action is futile |
にしても/としても: Even assuming that...
「にしても」and「としても」express a concessive assumption — even granting that's the case, the conclusion still holds:
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| たとえ会社が潰れるとしても、君にお金を借りたくない。 | Even if the company goes bankrupt, I don't want to borrow money from you. |
| 忙しいにしても、一本くらい電話できるだろう。 | Even if you're busy, surely you can make one phone call. |
にしても leans toward conceding a known fact; としても leans toward hypothetical scenarios.
Five Concessive Expressions Compared
| Expression | Core Meaning | Tone | Preceding clause |
|---|---|---|---|
| のに | Despite... | Regret/frustration | Fact |
| くせに | Despite... | Blame/criticism | Fact (people only) |
| ても | Even if... | Neutral | Fact or hypothesis |
| たところで | Pointless even if... | Pessimistic | Hypothesis |
| にしても/としても | Even granting that... | Concessive | Hypothesis or fact |
One-line rule: のに carries emotion, くせに assigns blame, ても is universal, たところで is hopeless, にしても concedes a point.
Summary
- のに marks a factual reversal with regret/frustration
- くせに = のに with blame, only for people
- ても is the most versatile concessive, often paired with たとえ/いくら/どんなに
- たところで implies futility — more pessimistic than ても
- にしても/としても make a concessive assumption
Practice
1. Choose the right concessive expression:
彼は日本人の____、日本語が下手だ。(tone of blame)
Show answer
彼は日本人のくせに、日本語が下手だ。 Because it carries blame ("despite being Japanese"), use くせに.
2. What's the tonal difference between「いくら謝っても許さない」and「謝ったところで許さない」?
Show answer
- いくら謝っても許さない: No matter how much you apologize, I won't forgive you. (neutral statement)
- 謝ったところで許さない: Even if you apologize, it's pointless — I won't forgive you. (more pessimistic, implying apology is futile)
3. Complete with のに:
せっかく作った____、誰も食べてくれなかった。
Show answer
せっかく作ったのに、誰も食べてくれなかった。 Despite going to the trouble of making it, nobody ate it. (expresses disappointment)