～にもかかわらず

Japanese Grammar Intermediate Japanese ★★★ 3/5 formal にもかかわらずnimo kakawarazu
Reading にもかかわらず
Romaji nimo kakawarazu
Formation Verb plain form + にもかかわらず / い-Adjective + にもかかわらず / な-Adjective + (である) + にもかかわらず / Noun + (である) + にもかかわらず

Meaning

A formal concessive expression meaning 'despite' or 'in spite of.' Used to indicate that something occurs without any relation to or regard for a preceding event or situation.

にもかかわらず is one of the most formal concessive expressions in Japanese. It connects two clauses where the second clause describes something unexpected given the first. It can follow verbs, adjectives, and nouns, and is commonly found in news reports, academic papers, and formal speeches. Unlike のに, which often carries a personal sense of disappointment, にもかかわらず is more objective and neutral in tone. The related form にもかかわらずに is sometimes seen but is considered non-standard.

Examples

  1. 雨が激しく降っているにもかかわらず、彼はジョギングに出かけた。 Despite the heavy rain, he went out jogging.
  2. 何度も注意したにもかかわらず、同じミスが繰り返されている。 In spite of being warned many times, the same mistakes keep being repeated.
  3. 経験が浅いにもかかわらず、彼女は見事にプレゼンをこなした。 Despite her limited experience, she delivered the presentation brilliantly.

Usage Guide

Context: written, formal speech, academic, news

Tone: objective

Do Say

  • 台風の警報が出ていたにもかかわらず、多くの人がイベントに参加した。
  • 高齢であるにもかかわらず、彼は毎朝五キロ走っている。
  • 十分な説明をしたにもかかわらず、誤解が生じてしまった。

Don't Say

  • 天気がいいにもかかわらず、散歩に行った。(No contradiction — good weather makes walking natural, so にもかかわらず is illogical here) → 天気が悪いにもかかわらず、散歩に行った。
  • 彼はにもかかわらず頑張った。(Missing the preceding clause — にもかかわらず requires a situation before it) → 体調が悪かったにもかかわらず、彼は頑張った。

Origin & History

Composed of に (particle), も (inclusive particle), かかわらず (negative form of 関わる, 'to be related to'). Literally means 'without even being related to.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Related Phrases

だが A sentence-initial conjunction meaning 'but' or 'however,' used to express something that contrasts with or opposes what was stated in the preceding sentence. It is common in written and formal spoken Japanese. 確かに～が A two-part structure meaning 'indeed ~ but' or 'it's true that ~ but,' used to acknowledge a point before presenting a contrasting or qualifying statement. The speaker partially agrees before introducing a counterargument. 逆に An adverb meaning 'conversely' or 'on the contrary,' used to introduce an event or state that occurs contrary to one's expectations or in the opposite direction from what was previously described. ～くせに A conjunction expressing the speaker's contempt, frustration, or criticism about someone's contradictory behaviour. Equivalent to 'even though' or 'despite' with a negative, accusatory nuance. ～たところで A concessive expression meaning 'even if' or 'even though,' used to indicate that even if an action or state were realised, the result would be insignificant, futile, or unchanged. ～というのに A conjunction indicating that an action or state takes place quite contrary to what one would expect from the preceding clause. It emphasises the speaker's surprise, frustration, or indignation at the unexpected outcome. ～ながら（も） A concessive conjunction meaning 'although' or 'despite,' used to express a contradiction between two coexisting states or actions. It indicates that despite the first clause being true, the second clause is also true. そうかと言って An expression meaning 'but then again' or 'having said that,' used when the speaker acknowledges a situation but indicates they cannot easily accept the natural or expected course of action that follows from it.
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