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Formation: V / い-adj plain form + といっても; N / na-adj (+ だ) + といっても; sentence-initial といっても、

〜といっても admits that X is true, then immediately corrects or limits the impression the word X might create: it is less than the listener would expect. The second half typically plays the claim down (only a little, just a small one, not really). It is common in both speech and writing, and it can also open a sentence as a conjunction: といっても、…. The N1 pattern 〜とはいえ is more formal and simply concedes a fact before a contrasting point, without the 'it's not as much as it sounds' nuance. 〜からといって is different: it denies that a conclusion follows from a reason ('just because X doesn't mean Y').

Variants: とはいっても、といったって、と言っても

Examples

• 料理ができるといっても、簡単なものしか作れない。
  I may say I can cook, but I can only make simple things.
• 社長といっても、社員五人の小さな会社だ。
  He's the president, sure, but it's a small company with five employees.
• 春といっても、朝晩はまだ寒い。
  It may be spring, but mornings and evenings are still cold.

In real texts 0 occurrence(s)

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