Kanji 関 connection, barrier, gateway 拘 arrest, seize, concerned Related words· 6 のに is the casual, everyday way to say 'although/despite', while にもかかわらず is a more formal, written equivalent.
それにもかかわらず is a stand-alone sentence-initial conjunction meaning 'in spite of that', whereas にもかかわらず attaches directly after the clause it contrasts with.
けれども is a neutral, general-purpose 'but/although' usable in any register, while にもかかわらず sounds more formal and stresses an unexpected contrast.
にもかかわらず is a formal phrase meaning 'despite' that attaches to a preceding clause, whereas しかも stands alone as a sentence-connecting conjunction with a similar contrastive nuance.
Show 2 more Show fewer にもかかわらず is a formal, written-style 'despite', whereas ところを is more conversational and often used in polite apologies or expressions of gratitude tied to a concrete situation.
にもかかわらず is more formal and typically attaches directly to a noun or clause, whereas それでいて works as a standalone conjunction linking two full sentences.
Written forms にも 関かか わらず
Kanji form using 関わる ; seen in formal writing but less common than kana.
にも 拘かかわ らず
Kanji form using 拘る ; used in formal or literary contexts.
Etymology Compound of the particle に , the particle も , the verb かかわる (関わる /拘る , 'to be involved with'), and the negative auxiliary ず . Literally 'without being involved with', it developed into a concessive expression meaning 'in spite of'.
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