〜といえども: 'Even Though...' (Meaning + Examples)
Naming an exception to what you'd expect
〜といえども concedes that something is true of X (often a status, role, or category), then immediately states a limit, exception, or contrasting fact — "even X isn't exempt from this" or "even X has this limitation."
専門家といえども、すべてを知っているわけではない。
せんもんかと いえども、すべてを しっている わけでは ない。
Even an expert doesn't know everything.
専門家 (noun) + といえども — conceding expert status, then limiting it.
やったんといえども、暴力は許されない。
やったんと いえども、ぼうりょくは ゆるされない。
Even Yattan wouldn't be excused for violence.
Original example: no one, however well-regarded, is exempt from the rule.
相手が子供といえども、子供のプライバシーを尊重すべきだ。
あいてが こどもと いえども、こどもの ぷらいばしーを そんちょう すべきだ。
Even though the other person is a child, one should respect a child's privacy.
Form: Noun / plain form + といえども
といえども attaches directly to a noun, or to a plain-form verb/adjective clause, without any extra particle.
| Attaches to | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | N + といえども | 社長といえども (even the president...) |
| Verb (plain form) | Vる + といえども | 知っているといえども (even though one knows...) |
規則を知っているといえども、油断は禁物だ。
きそくを しっていると いえども、ゆだんは きんもつだ。
Even though one knows the rules, letting your guard down is forbidden.
Higher register than 〜ても / 〜としても
〜といえども overlaps with the much more common 〜ても and 〜としても ("even if"), but it belongs to a distinctly higher, more literary register — formal speeches, essays, and legalistic writing, rarely everyday conversation. In casual speech, 専門家であっても or 専門家だとしても would say the same thing without the classical weight that といえども carries.
The short version
- N / Vる + といえども = "even though / even if [X]..." — concedes a status, then states a limit or exception.
- Attaches to: a noun directly, or a plain-form verb/adjective clause.
- Nuance/register: highly formal and literary; classical origin, common in speeches and essays.
- Don't confuse with: 〜ても / 〜としても, which mean the same thing in everyday, casual register.
Practice it
Choose といえども when the sentence concedes something is true of X before stating a limit or exception.
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
＿＿＿、すべてを知っているわけではない。
Where 〜といえども fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- 〜と思う · N5 — 〜と思う lets you say what you think: [plain form] + と思う. Learn the quotative と, why the clause stays plain, the 〜ようと思う 'I'm thinking of doing' use, and 〜と思っている.
More N1 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- 〜とはいえ — 〜とはいえ is a formal 'although / that said' — it concedes a point just stated, then adds a contrasting fact that still holds despite it. Common in writing and formal speech to soften a contradiction.
- 〜のみならず — 〜のみならず means 'not only...but also,' formally adding a second, often larger point to what was just said — 世界中にのみならず (not only in this country but the whole world). It's the formal register cousin of 〜だけでなく.
- 〜であれ — 〜であれ attaches to a noun (often paired or with a question word) to mean 'whether... or' / 'no matter what' — 誰であれ ('no matter who'). It's a formal concessive used in written and rhetorical Japanese.
- 〜かたわら — 〜かたわら means 'while also (doing)' — a main job or role carried out alongside a second, ongoing activity. Formal and written, it implies both things run in parallel over time, not just once.
- 〜かつて — かつて is a formal adverb meaning 'once,' 'formerly,' or 'in the past' — it points to a past state or time and often implies things are different now, unlike ever or a simple past tense.
- 〜きらいがある — 〜きらいがある means 'tends to,' 'has a tendency to' — almost always describing an undesirable habit or pattern of behavior, in a formal, slightly critical register.