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

Nominalising Adjectives: さ

For all adjectives—both i-adjectives and na-adjecitves—we can turn them into nouns with the particle さ. For i-adjectives we…

Inferring from Context

The kanji 訳 (わけ) means “translation” or “inference” and it can be used in a number of different…

どころか

どころか is used to express to the listener that the result was almost the exact opposite from what…

Just Finished Doing Something: ~たばかり

ばかり has a number of grammatical usages in Japanese, but one of the most common is with the…