connective N3 common casualpolitewritten
にしても — even if / even granting that
にしても
Builds on にしろ
Meaning
- even if ~ / even granting that ~ — concedes a point, then says the conclusion still holds
Key sentence
冗談にしても、ひどい。
Even as a joke, that's awful.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun / plain clause + にしても | N ／ Plain + にしても | 行くにしても (even if I go) |
Examples
いくら忙しいにしても、連絡ぐらいできるはずだ。
Even if you're busy, you could at least get in touch.
どちらを選ぶにしても、覚悟が必要だ。
Whichever you choose, you'll need to be prepared.
Easily confused with
にしては Same に+する base, は/も split: にしても concedes 'even if / even granting that' (the conclusion still stands), while にしては judges against a standard 'for / considering' (the result is surprising for that standard). 学生にしても… 'even for a student…' vs 学生にしては… 'for a student, (surprisingly)…'. 〜ても 〜ても is the general 'even if.' にしても is the noun/topic version — 'even taking X as the case' — and is the natural form after a noun or a quoted possibility.
Notes
- それにしても is a fixed sentence-opener meaning 'even so / nevertheless.' Repeated as 〜にしても〜にしても it means 'whether ~ or ~.'
See にしても in real sentences
Jengo shows にしても 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.