されども

also: しかれども

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

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.

Kanji

然sort of thing, so, if so

Related words

しかし
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
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.

Written forms

然れども
- されども
  Rare kanji spelling; the reading しかれども is also possible but even less common.
- しかれども
しかれども
Alternate reading of the kanji form; very rare and archaic.

Etymology

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.