とはいえ

That Said

Level 4Sounds Like tohaie

とはいえ (That said / Although it is said that) is used to admit a premise is true, but then provide information that balances or limits that premise to prevent misunderstanding.

How It Works

とはいえ is used when a speaker feels that a previous statement might lead the listener to an exaggerated conclusion. By using this pattern, the speaker says, 'Yes, A is true, but don't forget B.'

1. Morphological Connection:
It attaches to the Plain Form (both present and past tense) of verbs, adjectives, and nouns.

  • Verbs: 行く（いく） + とはいえ / 失敗した（しっぱいした） + とはいえ
  • い-Adjectives: 美味しい（おいしい） + とはいえ
  • な-Adjectives: 便利（べんり） + とはいえ (The copula だ is optional)
  • Nouns: 春（はる） + とはいえ (The copula だ is optional)

2. Sentence Initial Usage:
It can also start a sentence as a standalone conjunction: 「とはいえ、...」(That said, ...).

3. Emphasis Adverbs:
This pattern is frequently paired with adverbs like いくら or どんなに to strengthen the concessive meaning (e.g., "No matter how much... that said").

4. Register and Nuance:
This is a formal expression. In casual conversation, people usually use 〜といっても. While 〜といっても often corrects a potential overestimation, とはいえ is used more for balancing two objective facts or realities.

Examples (4)

  1. 春とはいえ、今朝はまだまだ寒かった。

    Although it is technically spring, it was still quite cold this morning.

    Word by Word: Spring although-it-is-said, this-morning as-for still-still was-cold.

    The speaker acknowledges it is spring (the fact), but qualifies it by noting the temperature doesn't match the typical expectation of spring.

  2. プロとはいえ、時には失敗することもある。

    Even though they are professionals, they sometimes make mistakes.

    Word by Word: Professional although-it-is-said, sometimes mistakes doing thing also exists.

    This balances the status of being a 'professional' with the reality that humans are prone to error.

  3. 不況だ。とはいえ、全ての企業の業績が悪化しているわけではない。

    It is a recession. That said, it doesn't mean the performance of every company is deteriorating.

    Word by Word: Recession is. That-said, all of companies' performance-results subject-marker worsening doing case is-not.

    Here, とはいえ starts the sentence to provide a counter-perspective to the general statement about the recession.

  4. 便利だとはいえ、使いすぎには注意が必要だ。

    Even though it is convenient, caution is necessary against overusing it.

    Word by Word: Convenient is although-it-is-said, overusing-to as-for caution subject-marker necessity is.

    The speaker admits the benefit (convenience) but adds a warning to provide a balanced view.

Common Mistakes

  • Using it for simple personal desires or feelings.

    日本に行きたいとはいえ、お金がない。
    日本に行きたいが、お金がない。

    とはいえ is used to qualify a recognized fact or a premise. For simple personal contrasts like 'I want to go but have no money,' use basic particles like が or けど.

  • Using it in very casual daily conversation.

    今日は休み。とはいえ、宿題があるんだ。
    今日は休み。といっても、宿題があるんだ。

    とはいえ sounds very stiff and 'bookish.' In casual speech with friends, といっても is much more natural.

How It Connects

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

とはいえLevel 4That Said

Learn This First

The pattern 'とは言え' (often written as とはいえ) is a formal conjunction that literally translates to 'even if [one] says that...'. To understand it, learners need to be familiar with the quotation particle 'と', the contrastive use of the topic marker 'は', and the verb '言う' (to say) which forms the core of the expression.

Words in This Pattern