にしろ / にせよ
- 1Even if / even granting that X; the following statement holds regardless, often reinforced by たとえ.Ex. 1
- 2Whether X or Y; used in the paired form X にしろ Y にしろ to cover two alternatives.Ex. 2
- 3No matter what / in any case; used after question words, as in 何にせよ or いずれにせよ.
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The pattern concedes a condition or set of alternatives and then states a judgment, intention, or obligation that applies either way. It is slightly formal. にせよ is stiffer and more typical of writing and formal speech, while にしろ appears somewhat more in speech. It frequently co-occurs with たとえ, and the main clause often contains べきだ, つもりだ, or a similar expression of will or evaluation.
Do not confuse the にしろ in this pattern with the blunt imperative しろ ("do it!"); here it follows に and means "even if."
Note that in the paired form both items should be parallel alternatives, such as the same word class or opposing choices like 賛成 and 反対.
Learners should remember that にせよ sounds more formal than にしろ, so choose it for writing or formal speech.
- にしてもN2「にしても」is basically the same as 「にしろ／にせよ」 in both its concessive use and its parallel use as in 「AにしてもBにしても」, and the two are often interchangeable. 「にしても」 sounds plainer and is common in both speech and writing, without the stiffness of 「にせよ」.
- であれ〜であれN2「であれ〜であれ」 corresponds only to the listing use of 「AにしろBにしろ」; it attaches only to nouns and な-adjectives, not directly to verbs or い-adjectives, and sounds more formal. When listing nouns or な-adjectives, the two are interchangeable.
- であれ / であろうとN1「であれ／であろうと」 attaches only to nouns, question words, and な-adjective stems, not directly to verbs or い-adjectives; it presents a single item or uses a question word as a generalization (for parallel use, 「AであれBであれ」), and is more formal. With nouns, it is often interchangeable with 「にしろ／にせよ」.
- としてもN2「としても」 is close in concessive meaning to 「にしろ／にせよ」 and often interchangeable, but it emphasizes a tentative assumption; nouns and な-adjectives generally take 「だ」 (omittable with nouns), its register is neutral, and it is less commonly used for listing than 「AにしろBにしろ」.
- といえどもN1「といえども」 is concessive only, with a more formal and stiff tone, seen mostly in regulations and speeches; it typically attaches to status or rank, extreme conditions, or minimal quantities like 「一円」, emphasizing that even so there is no exception, and it cannot be used for 「AにしろBにしろ」-style listing.
- としたって / としたところでN1「としたって／としたところで」 leans colloquial, and the following clause is usually a negative judgment that nothing helps or the outcome stays the same; it can also attach to personal nouns to indicate a standpoint. It is close to 「にしろ／にせよ」 mainly in concessive meaning.
にしても has nearly the same meaning but is more conversational, and としても / としたって / としたところで stress a hypothetical supposition (the last two are colloquial and imply the outcome won't change). であれ〜であれ and であれ / であろうと mainly follow nouns and sound more formal, while といえども is a literary "even though (one is) X" often tied to status or category.
