also: しかれども
conjunction
nevertheless; even so; however
A formal, literary conjunction used to introduce a contrasting statement. Similar to しかし or けれども, but more old-fashioned and emphatic. Often appears in written or rhetorical contexts.
See also: 然れど (されど)
彼は若い。されども、その判断は正しかった。
He is young. Nevertheless, his judgment was correct.
困難は多い。されども、諦めるわけにはいかない。
There are many difficulties. Even so, we cannot give up.
しかし is the standard, everyday word for 'however' or 'but'. されども is more formal, literary, and emphatic.
けれども is a common conjunction meaning 'although' or 'but', used in both spoken and written Japanese. されども is more archaic and carries a stronger contrastive nuance.
Derived from the classical Japanese verb 然り (さり, 'to be so') in its continuative form 然れ (され) combined with the concessive particle ども. The alternate reading しかれども comes from the classical verb 然り (しかり) with the same structure.