かといって

か

と

い

っ

て

Common word

Meanings

expression

having said that; on the other hand; but still

usually written using kana alone

Used to introduce a contrasting or qualifying statement after acknowledging a previous point. Often appears as かと言って～ない or かと言って～わけではない.

彼かれは頭あたまがいい。かと言いって、性せい格かくがいいわけではない。
He is smart. Having said that, it doesn't mean he has a good personality.
値ね段だんは安やすい。かと言いって、品ひん質しつが悪わるいというわけでもない。
The price is low. But still, that doesn't necessarily mean the quality is bad.

Kanji

言say, word

Related words

とはいえ
とはいえ and かと言って both introduce a qualifying contrast after acknowledging a prior statement, but とはいえ leans more formal/written while かと言って is common in everyday speech.
しかしN4
しかし is a plain, general-purpose 'but,' whereas かと言って specifically signals 'even so, that doesn't mean...' after conceding a point.

Don't confuse with

だからといって
だからと言って means 'just because X, that doesn't mean Y' (rejecting a conclusion drawn from a reason), while かと言って qualifies a preceding statement without that reason-conclusion link.

Etymology

Combination of the question particle か, the quotative particle と, and the te-form of 言う (to say). Literally 'saying that (it is) ...?', it developed into a fixed contrastive expression.