それでも
But still, And yet, Even so, Nevertheless
Structure
Explanation
The word それでも is formed by joining the pronoun それ with the adverbial particle でも. You will frequently see it translated as 'even so' or 'nevertheless'. Its literal sense is more akin to 'even that being the case'.
それでも typically appears between two statements, (A) and (B), to introduce a fact or action (B) that happens despite what was stated in (A), often with a sense of surprise.
- その試験はとても難しいらしいよ。それでも受けたいの？I hear that exam is really hard. Even so, do you still want to take it?
- この仕事は給料が安くて大変です。それでも、私はこの仕事が大好きだから続けたいです。This job has low pay and it's tough. Nevertheless, I love this work, so I want to keep doing it.
The main function of this grammar is to express that despite the previously mentioned fact, there is another, often contradictory, element to consider.
Examples
この料理は辛いですが、それでも唐辛子を足します。
This dish is spicy, but nevertheless, I'm going to add more chili pepper.
夜遅く食べると太ると言われている。それでも、ラーメンが食べたくなる。
They say you gain weight if you eat late at night. And yet, I still get cravings for ramen.
試合に勝つのは難しいのに、それでも挑戦するつもりですか。
It's difficult to win the match, and yet are you still going to try?
彼はいつも仕事の文句を言っている。それでも、誰よりも熱心に働く。
He is always complaining about his job. Nevertheless, he works harder than anyone.
試験に落ちてしまった。それでも、諦めない。
I failed the exam. Nevertheless, I won't give up.
毎日たくさん練習しているのに、それでもなかなか上手にならない。
I practice a lot every day, but I'm still not getting much better.
彼には欠点がたくさんあるのに、それでもなぜか好きになってしまう。
He has a lot of flaws, and yet for some reason I find myself falling for him.
道がとても混んでいたのに、それでも彼は時間どおりに着いた。
The traffic was awful, nevertheless he arrived on time.
エアコンをつけた。それでも、部屋はちっとも涼しくならなかった。
I turned on the air conditioner. But the room still didn't get cool at all.
私は高いところが苦手だ。それでも、友達はジェットコースターに乗りたがっている。
I'm scared of heights. Nevertheless, my friends want to ride the roller coaster.
一度壊れた信頼は戻らないといわれている。それでも許しを求める人もいる。
It is said that once trust is broken, it can't be restored. Nevertheless, some people still ask for forgiveness.
このアプリはバグが多くて使いにくい。それでも便利な機能があるから人気がある。
This app has a lot of bugs and is hard to use. Nevertheless, it's popular because it has convenient features.