にもかかわらず

In Spite of

Level 3Sounds Like nimokakawarazu

Use にもかかわらず to express that something happened even though a specific fact or situation should have prevented it. It is a formal version of のに.

How It Works

にもかかわらず is a formal conjunction used primarily in writing (reports, news) or formal speech (business, ceremonies).

1. Grammatical Structure:
It attaches to the plain form of verbs and adjectives, or directly to nouns.

Verbs: Plain form (e.g., 行ったにもかかわらず)
い-Adjectives: Plain form (e.g., 忙しいにもかかわらず)
な-Adjectives: Stem + である (e.g., 不便であるにもかかわらず)
Nouns: Noun + (である) (e.g., 雨にもかかわらず or 雨であるにもかかわらず)

2. Nuance and Usage:
While it translates similarly to のに, にもかかわらず is much more objective and formal. It focuses on the factual contradiction rather than just personal emotion. It is frequently used in formal greetings, such as thanking someone for attending an event despite bad weather.

3. Sentence Initial Use:
You can start a sentence with それにもかかわらず to mean 'Nevertheless...' or 'Despite that...'

Examples (4)

彼は足に怪我を負っているにもかかわらず、最後まで走り抜いた。
Despite having an injury to his leg, he ran until the very end.
Word by Word: He [topic] leg to injury [object] bearing is despite, end until ran through.
This shows admiration for someone completing a task despite a physical obstacle.
本日は悪天候にもかかわらず、お越しいただき誠にありがとうございます。
Thank you very much for coming today despite the bad weather.
Word by Word: Today [topic] bad weather despite, coming receive truly thank you.
This is a standard formal greeting used in business or events.
十分な対策を立てたにもかかわらず、ミスを防ぐことができなかった。
In spite of having made sufficient preparations, we were unable to prevent the mistake.
Word by Word: Sufficient preparations [object] made despite, mistake [object] prevent thing [subject] could not do.
Here, the pattern expresses dissatisfaction or regret that a logical result (success) did not follow the effort.
大学生であるにもかかわらず、彼は漢字がほとんど書けない。
Despite being a university student, he can hardly write any kanji.
Word by Word: University student is despite, he [topic] kanji [subject] mostly cannot write.
This uses the 'Noun + である' form to emphasize the contradiction between his status and his ability.

Common Mistakes

Confusing 'despite' (contradiction) with 'regardless' (no matter what).
性別にもかかわらず、誰でも参加できます。
性別にかかわらず、誰でも参加できます。
Without the 'も', 'にかかわらず' means 'regardless of'. With 'も', it means 'despite a specific fact'. You use 'regardless' for general categories like age or gender.
Using it in overly casual daily conversations.
お腹が空いたにもかかわらず、何も食べなかった。
お腹が空いていたのに、何も食べなかった。
Using にもかかわらず for simple personal matters like being hungry sounds too stiff and 'bookish'. Use 'のに' for everyday situations.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

にもかかわらずLevel 3In Spite of

Learn This First

To understand 'にもかかわらず', you need to be familiar with the basic particles 'に' and 'も' which form its structure. Additionally, since this pattern functions as a conjunction that follows verbs, adjectives, or nouns, a solid grasp of how different parts of speech connect to following phrases (noun modification) is essential.

Words in This Pattern