JLPT N3. Slightly informal. Used mainly in conversation.

We have already covered the grammar for this phrase and the usage can be understood with a direct translation because we have similar expressions in English. The phrase is used to caveat a fact that you state in the prior clause.

彼が社長だといっても会社には社員が三人しかいません。
I say he’s a CEO, but the company only has three employees.

日本語ができるといってもまだ漢字を読んだり書いたりすることができない。
I say he can speak Japanese, but he cannot yet read or write kanji.

Note that in most cases we can form the same expression just by using “but” as a conjunction; but といっても has nuance that you are qualifying the prior statement rather than contradicting it.

You May Also Like

Covered in Something

When we want to say that something is covered in or full of something else (e.g. “the bookshelf…

The Question Particle (か)

It is incredibly easy to turn a statement into a question in Japanese—all you need to do is…

Despite: のに

JLPT N4. Core grammar used in both writing and conversation. The particle のに is used to express “despite”.…

The Possessive Particle (の)

The particle の is one of the easier particles to learn. Its most basic use is to denote…