とはいうものの
- 1Although it is true that X, contrary to what one would expect, Y.Ex. 1
- 2Although one admits situation X, a certain action or judgment still does not follow from it.Ex. 2
- 3Used on its own at the start of a sentence as a conjunction meaning "that said" or "even so."
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A rather formal concessive expression, most typical of writing, essays and formal speech, though it can also be heard in conversation. The first clause states something the speaker accepts as true, and the second presents a reality or judgment running against what the first would suggest. It is close in meaning to とはいえ and more marked than plain ものの.
Note that the first clause is normally a fact the speaker accepts, not mere hearsay, despite the quotative と.
Learners should make sure the second clause contradicts the natural expectation from the first; otherwise the sentence sounds odd.
Note that it sounds fairly formal; in relaxed everyday talk, といっても or でも is often the more natural choice.
- とはいえN1「とはいえ」 has essentially the same meaning, attachment, and sentence-initial use as 「とはいうものの」, and the two are mostly interchangeable; 「とはいえ」 is more concise and more literary, and the following clause often carries the speaker's judgment, evaluation, or a reminder.
- もののN2「ものの」 contains no quotation like 「と言う」; it simply concedes a fact and then contrasts, often with a nuance of regret. It cannot start a sentence; nouns must take 「である」 and な-adjectives take 「な／である」. Mid-sentence, the two are mostly interchangeable.
- といってもN3「といっても」 is common in both speech and writing, and the following clause typically corrects the degree of the previous statement or lowers expectations; 「とはいうものの」 leans literary and emphasizes that the following clause goes against expectations. When used sentence-initially to mean 'that said,' the two are close, but their registers differ.
- といえどもN1「といえども」 means 'even if/even though,' typically conceding status, extreme conditions, or minimal amounts, with the following clause often expressing prohibition or obligation; 「とはいうものの」 concedes an established fact and then contrasts, and can also serve as a sentence-initial conjunction.
- 〜つつもN3「つつも」 attaches only to the ます-form of verbs, usually after verbs like 「知る」 or 「思う」, and means 'knowing full well, yet still...'; 「とはいうものの」 can also attach to nouns and adjectives and be used sentence-initially, meaning 'although... in reality...'
It is nearly synonymous with とはいえ, and adds a quotative "it is said/true that" nuance to plain ものの; といっても is more colloquial and often limits or corrects what was just said, while といえども is more literary and often takes an extreme case ("even X"). 〜つつも attaches to a verb stem and describes the same subject doing one thing while acting or feeling otherwise.
