Japanese Contrast with 'Despite' and 'In Spite of': Using 〜にもかかわらず with Nouns and 〜ing
Learn to express contrast in Japanese with 〜にもかかわらず after nouns and verb stems, the prepositional equivalent of 'despite' and 'in spite of,' and see how it differs from 〜けれども.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
English uses 'despite' and 'in spite of' before a noun or an -ing form: 'Despite the rain, we went out.' Japanese expresses this contrast with 〜にもかかわらず (ni mo kakawarazu), a formal pattern that attaches to nouns and to the stem of verbs. Unlike 〜けれども, which joins two full clauses, 〜にもかかわらず packs the obstacle into a compact phrase and then states the surprising result. This lesson teaches the pattern, its polite register, and the mistakes English speakers often make when translating 'despite' word for word.
By the end, you can…
- attach 〜にもかかわらず to a noun to mean 'despite' or 'in spite of.'
- use a verb stem plus 〜にもかかわらず to mean 'despite doing' something.
- tell when 〜にもかかわらず is more appropriate than 〜けれども.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
雨にもかかわらず、出かけました。
Despite the rain, we went out.
ame ni mo kakawarazu, dekakemashita
Noun + にもかかわらず. The comma after the phrase is common and makes the contrast easy to read.
忙しいにもかかわらず、手伝ってくれました。
Despite being busy, he helped me.
isogashii ni mo kakawarazu, tetsudatte kuremashita
Here にもかかわらず follows an i-adjective. This is common and natural in polite writing and speech.
雨が降っているにもかかわらず、試合は続きました。
In spite of the fact that it was raining, the game continued.
ame ga futte iru ni mo kakawarazu, shiai wa tsuzukimashita
With a full clause before it, this is close to 'although,' but the tone is more formal and emphatic.
彼は努力したにもかかわらず、試験に落ちました。
Despite having studied hard, he failed the exam.
kare wa doryoku shita ni mo kakawarazu, shiken ni ochimashita
Past-tense verb + にもかかわらず expresses 'despite having done' something.
値段が高いにもかかわらず、よく売れています。
In spite of the high price, it is selling well.
nedan ga takai ni mo kakawarazu, yoku urete imasu
A common pattern in news and business writing: state the unexpected obstacle, then the result.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [obstacle] + にもかかわらず、[surprising result]. The obstacle can be a noun (雨にもかかわらず), an i-adjective (忙しいにもかかわらず), a na-adjective (静かであるにもかかわらず; 静かにもかかわらず is less common), or a verb in plain form (努力したにもかかわらず). English 'despite' takes a noun or -ing, but Japanese にもかかわらず can take a whole plain clause, so you are not limited to nouns. Example: 雨にもかかわらず、試合は行われました。'Despite the rain, the game was held.'
When to use it
Use 〜にもかかわらず when you want to sound formal, emphatic, or slightly literary. It is common in news reports, business emails, speeches, and written Japanese. In casual conversation, Japanese speakers often prefer 〜のに or 〜けれども: 雨なのに、出かけた。'Even though it was raining, we went out.' Choose にもかかわらず when the contrast is important and you want to stress that the result happened anyway. Avoid it in very casual chat, where it can sound stiff or ironic.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
昨日、雨にもかかわらず、試合を見に行きました。
Yesterday, despite the rain, I went to see the game.kinou, ame ni mo kakawarazu, shiai o mi ni ikimashitaええ、私も行きました。寒かったにもかかわらず、楽しかったです。
Yes, I went too. Despite the cold, it was fun.ee, watashi mo ikimashita. samukatta ni mo kakawarazu, tanoshikatta desu選手たちは疲れていたにもかかわらず、よく頑張りましたね。
The players did their best despite being tired, didn't they?senshu-tachi wa tsukarete ita ni mo kakawarazu, yoku ganbarimashita ne本当に。雨にもかかわらず、いい試合でした。
Really. In spite of the rain, it was a good game.hontou ni. ame ni mo kakawarazu, ii shiai deshitaA little context goes a long way
〜にもかかわらず belongs to a polite, somewhat formal register. It appears often in Japanese news headlines, official announcements, and business writing, where it signals that the writer has weighed an obstacle against an outcome. In everyday conversation, using it can sound emphatic or even slightly dramatic, so many speakers switch to 〜のに or 〜けれども. Recognizing the pattern is essential for reading Japanese newspapers and formal documents, even if you rarely produce it in casual speech.
One thing to watch for
Learners sometimes try to put を after the noun, producing 雨をもかかわらず, or to attach にもかかわらず directly to an English-style -ing form.
Try this instead: The particle is always に: 雨にもかかわらず. Do not use を. Also, do not attach にもかかわらず directly to an English-style -ing form; use a plain verb clause instead, as in 雨が降っているにもかかわらず.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate into Japanese: 'Despite the noise, I studied.'
Show a sample answer
騒音にもかかわらず、勉強しました。
騒音 is a noun, so noun + にもかかわらず works directly. 音にもかかわらず is also acceptable if the noise is less specific.
2Translate into Japanese: 'Despite being tired, she finished the work.'
Show a sample answer
彼女は疲れていたにもかかわらず、仕事を終えました。
The obstacle is a plain past clause, so 疲れていた + にもかかわらず is correct. 疲れているにもかかわらず is also valid if the tiredness is ongoing.
3Which is more natural in a casual chat: 雨にもかかわらず、出かけた or 雨なのに、出かけた?
Show a sample answer
雨なのに、出かけた。
のに is the everyday conversational choice. にもかかわらず is grammatically correct but sounds formal or emphatic in casual speech.
Use [obstacle] + にもかかわらず、[result] for a formal, emphatic 'despite' or 'in spite of.' It can follow nouns, adjectives, and plain verb clauses, but in casual conversation 〜のに or 〜けれども usually sounds more natural.
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