ながら（も）although; despite
You admit one thing, and what follows sits oddly with it: small but happy, knew but said nothing. This is not the ながら of "while doing".
after an adjective
Our home is small, but it's a happy one.
after a verb
He knew it was dangerous, and went on working all the same.
set phrase
Unfortunately, reception has closed for today.
How to form it
Verb ます-stem／い-adjective／な-adjective／noun + ながら（も）
Nothing goes in between, no だ, な or の: 狭いながら, 残念ながら, 学生ながら. A verb is often ていながら: 知っていながら. With も it is always "although".
- Tone
- After an adjective or a noun, often impressed: small, young or new, and yet. After 知っていながら, usually blame.
- Where you'll meet it
- Writing and careful speech. The set phrases are everywhere: signs, announcements, emails.
- In conversation
- けど, or のに when you are impressed or blaming someone.
Although or while?
After something you are busy doing, ながら is usually "while". After a state, such as knowing, being small or being a student, it is usually "although". English "while" has the same two meanings. Both halves are normally about the same person or thing, as with "while doing".
He wrote the report while listening to music.
Listening is something he is doing.
He knew, and yet he said nothing.
Knowing is a state, and saying nothing sits oddly with it.
In use
Though still a student, he leads the area's disaster-preparedness work.
Inconvenient as it is, a lot of people live in this area.
I understood the circumstances, but I still couldn't agree with the decision.
The set phrases
残念ながらunfortunately
Unfortunately, we cannot make a reservation for the dates you asked for.
勝手ながらwe are sorry, but
We are sorry, but we are temporarily closed today.
On a shop door.
我ながらif I say so myself
It came out well, if I say so myself.
Close neighbours
つつもN2
Mostly after a verb of knowing or thinking: someone knows better and does it anyway. Stiffer than ながら（も）.
I knew it was wrong, and I lied anyway.
もののN2
The written けど: you grant a fact, then say it didn't lead where you'd expect. Bought, but not used.
I bought a new camera, but I haven't used it once yet.
にもかかわらずN2
The formal のに: a result that defies the circumstances, stated as fact. It goes straight onto a noun.
Despite the rain, a large crowd gathered.
Check yourself
1Which one is "although"?
Choose an answer to see why.
2Which one fits?
（ ）、
Choose an answer to see why.
More sentences
Small as it is, this workshop gets orders from overseas.
Though new to the job, Tanaka has been trusted with an important negotiation.
Despite the criticism it received, the committee did not change its policy.
Though she struggled with a lack of funds, she saw her five-year research project through to the end.