connective N1 uncommon casualpolitewritten
そうかといって — even so
そうかといって
Meaning
- but even so / that said / that doesn't mean (you can) ~ — grants the prior point, then blocks the natural but excessive conclusion drawn from it
Key sentence
疲れた。そうかといって、仕事を休むわけにはいかない。
I'm exhausted. But even so, I can't just take off work.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence-initial connective | （先行文）。そうかといって、… typically closing with わけにはいかない / わけではない / 〜(ら)れない | そうかといって、賛成するわけでもない |
When: Discourse connector, used in both speech and writing; signals a deliberate pull-back from over-reading the previous statement.
Variants
かといって — Mid-flow version attached straight after the conceded clause, without the そう.
Examples
値段は安い。そうかといって、品質が悪いわけではない。
It's cheap. That said, it doesn't mean the quality is bad.
反対はしない。そうかといって、賛成するわけでもない。
I won't oppose it — but that doesn't mean I agree either.
When you can't use it
- The clause that follows denies or limits an over-conclusion, so it leans negative ('can't ~ / not that ~'); it is not a free positive continuation.
Easily confused with
〜からといって からといって attaches to a specific reason clause ('just because ~'); そうかといって stands alone, pointing back at the whole preceding statement. それでも それでも pushes through ('even so, X still happens'); そうかといって pulls back ('even so, you can't over-conclude/over-react'). とはいえ とはいえ concedes the prior truth then mildly counters — a close synonym but more compact and able to attach to a clause (〜とはいえ).
See そうかといって in real sentences
Jengo shows そうかといって 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, A Dictionary of Intermediate Japanese Grammar.