〜にしても: 'Even If' / 'Even So' (Meaning + Examples)
The link it makes: concession
〜にしても joins two clauses by concession: you grant a situation — even a supposed or hypothetical one — and then state that your conclusion is unaffected. Translate the link as "even if," "even granting that," or "even in the case of."
行くにしても、夜は無理だよ。
いくにしても、よるは むりだよ。
Even if I go, the evening won't work.
Granting the trip, the conclusion still stands.
ヤッタンは、高いにしても必要なら買う。
ヤッタンは、たかいにしても ひつようなら かう。
Even if it's expensive, Yattan will buy it if he needs it.
冗談にしても、それはひどいよ。
じょうだんにしても、それは ひどいよ。
Even as a joke, that's too much.
Noun + にしても: 'even granting it's a joke.'
The nuance is "I'll accept that for the sake of argument — it changes nothing." Often the granted case is one the speaker is half-supposing rather than treating as a firm fact.
Tone: granting a supposed case, not just a fact
にしても is comfortable in both casual and fairly neutral writing, and its flavour is evaluative — you grant a case and then react to it. That subjective, "for the sake of argument" tone is what separates it from plain 〜ても. Both express concession ("even if"), but they lean different ways. Plain 〜ても attaches to the て-form (行っても) and often grants something concrete or factual. 〜にしても tends to grant a supposed / hypothetical case you're putting forward — "even granting that this is so." So 行っても = "even if/though I go," while 行くにしても = "even granting that I go (let's suppose so)…," frequently followed by a limiting condition.
What attaches, and what has to follow
にしても attaches to the plain (dictionary) form of verbs and い-adjectives, and directly to nouns and な-adjectives (no だ):
| Word type | Attachment | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (plain) | 行く + にしても | 行くにしても (even if I go) |
| い-adjective | 高い + にしても | 高いにしても (even if it's pricey) |
| な-adjective | 便利 + にしても | 便利にしても (even if it's convenient) |
| Noun | 冗談 + にしても | 冗談にしても (even as a joke) |
With nouns and な-adjectives you do not add だ — say 冗談にしても, never 冗談だにしても. On the other side, にしても needs a main clause that pushes back or limits the granted case (高いにしても、買う); a bare にしても clause with no twist sounds unfinished. Two fixed patterns extend that basic link:
それにしても — "even so"
At the start of a sentence, それにしても is a fixed connector meaning "even so," "nonetheless," or "that said." It accepts the previous statement and then adds a reaction that goes beyond it:
忙しいのは分かる。それにしても、連絡くらいしてよ。
いそがしいのは わかる。それにしても、れんらくくらい してよ。
I get that you're busy. Even so, at least drop me a message.
〜にしても〜にしても — "whether… or…"
Pairing two にしても clauses gives "whether A or B" — both alternatives lead to the same result:
行くにしても行かないにしても、モチに伝えておこう。
いくにしても いかないにしても、モチに つたえて おこう。
Whether I go or not, let me tell Mochi in advance.
In use
先生にしても、その問題は難しかったらしい。
せんせいにしても、その もんだいは むずかしかったらしい。
Even for the teacher, that problem was apparently hard.
にしても = 'even in the case of.'
負けたにしても、いい試合だった。
まけたにしても、いい しあいだった。
Even though we lost, it was a good match.
Past plain form + にしても.
Watch-outs
- Confusing にしても with としても. They overlap, but としても (from 〜として) leans toward a pure hypothesis — "even if we suppose X" or "even acting as X." 〜にしても more often grants an actual or likely case and adds an evaluative reaction. When in doubt with a firm "let's just suppose," としても is safer; for "even granting this real situation," にしても fits.
- Adding だ after a noun or な-adjective. It's 冗談にしても and 便利にしても — never 冗談だにしても.
- Treating それにしても as two words. As a sentence opener it's one fixed phrase meaning "even so"; don't try to parse それ + にしても literally.
The short version
- 〜にしても = "even if / even granting that" — concede a (often supposed) case; the conclusion still holds.
- Attaches to plain forms, and nouns / な-adjectives directly (no だ).
- それにしても at sentence start = "even so / nonetheless."
- 〜にしても〜にしても = "whether… or…" (same result either way).
- vs としても: にしても grants a real/likely case with a reaction; としても leans pure hypothesis.
Practice it
Choose the correct use of 〜にしても (concession, それにしても, or 〜にしても〜にしても).
＿＿＿に入れるのに最もよいものを選びなさい。
＿＿＿、品質が悪ければ買わない。
Frequently asked questions
What does 〜にしても mean?
It means 'even if' or 'even granting that.' You accept a case — often a supposed or hypothetical one — and say your main point still holds: 高いにしても買う ('even if it's expensive, I'll buy it').
How does にしても attach to words?
Plain forms for verbs and い-adjectives (行くにしても, 高いにしても), and directly to nouns and な-adjectives with no だ (冗談にしても, 便利にしても).
What's the difference between にしても and としても?
Both can mean 'even if (we suppose).' としても leans toward a pure hypothesis ('even supposing X'); にしても more often grants an actual or likely situation and adds an evaluative reaction. They overlap, so context decides.
What does それにしても mean?
At the start of a sentence it's a fixed connector meaning 'even so' or 'nonetheless': それにしても、連絡くらいしてよ ('even so, at least message me').
Where 〜にしても fits
Shaky on this? Get these solid first
- Conditional 〜たら · N4 — 〜たら is Japanese's most flexible conditional: just add ら to the plain past. Learn the formation, the 'if/when' meaning, the discovery use, and how it beats ば/と for requests.
- 〜てください · N5 — 〜てください is the standard way to politely ask someone to do something ('please do…'). Learn the formation, the negative 〜ないでください, softer variations, and see clear examples.
Don't confuse it with
- 〜として · N3 — 〜として marks a role or capacity: 先生として ('as a teacher'). Learn the formation, the variants としては and としても, the set phrase 〜は別として, and how it differs from にとって.
Once this clicks, go on to
- 〜ても · N4 — 〜ても means 'even if' or 'even though': 雨が降っても行く. Learn the て-form base, でも after voiced verbs, the い-adj and noun patterns, and question word + ても.
More N3 grammar to explore
Keep going with related patterns at the same level:
- ところが — ところが is a conjunction meaning 'however / but' that introduces a surprising, often unfortunate result contrary to what you expected. Learn the nuance and how it differs from でも and けど.
- 〜どころか — 〜どころか flips an expectation on its head: 'far from X, the opposite happened' or 'let alone X.' Learn both senses, how it attaches, and the common direction-of-contrast mistake.
- 〜きり — 〜きり has two jobs: with a noun it means 'only/just' (一度きり = only once), and after a た-verb it means 'since X (and the expected next thing never happened).'
- 〜こそ — こそ emphasizes the word before it: 'precisely, exactly, the very one.' Learn 今度こそ, こちらこそ, and からこそ ('precisely because'), with examples and common mistakes.
- 〜には — Verb (dictionary form) + には states a purpose and emphasizes what's needed to achieve it: 合格するには努力が必要だ ('to pass, effort is necessary'). The は adds emphasis on top of plain purpose に, setting up a following statement of necessity.
- 〜てやる — 〜てやる has two faces: doing a favor for someone below you (the rough form of 〜てあげる) and gritty determination — 'I'll do it, just watch.' Learn both.