connective N2 common politewritten
〜であっても — even if it is ~ / even being ~
〜であっても ・ であっても
Builds on である
Meaning
- even if it is ~ / even being ~ — concedes a noun or status and asserts the main point holds regardless; formal
Key sentence
子供であっても、ルールは守らなければならない。
Even if they're a child, they must follow the rules.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun / な-adjective + であっても | N + であっても | 専門家であっても |
When: Formal — the written, stiffer equivalent of casual でも 'even if'. Common after どんな〜 ('whatever ~ may be').
Examples
どんな理由であっても、暴力は許されない。
Whatever the reason, violence is not permitted.
わずかな金額であっても、寄付は大きな力になる。
Even if it's a small sum, a donation is a big help.
When you can't use it
- Attaches to nouns and な-adjectives (the である + ても form); for verbs use 〜ても directly. It concedes the named status without overturning the main claim.
Easily confused with
See 〜であっても in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜であっても the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.