日本語道場

Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2

Grammar

N2· hand-written

～ものの

Although / Even though / But / However

When to use it

Acknowledge a positive fact or effort while introducing a contrasting result or limitation; common in business reports, performance reviews, and project updates where you need to diplomatically present mixed outcomes.

Formation

Verb: 提案した → 提案したものの、承認されなかった — "Although we proposed it, it wasn't approved" (teian shita) → (teian shita mono no, shounin sarenakatta) I-Adj: 安い → 安いものの、品質に問題がある — "Although it's cheap, there are quality issues" (yasui) → (yasui mono no, hinshitsu ni mondai ga aru) Noun: 成功だった → 成功だったものの、課題も残った — "Although it was a success, challenges remained" (seikou datta) → (seikou datta mono no, kadai mo nokotta)

Examples

  • Here's the Q1 report. Although the new product rollout proceeded as planned, initial sales fell short of targets.

  • I understand the situation. Have you been able to analyze the causes?

  • Yes. Although we strengthened marketing activities, our response to competitor price cuts was delayed. In Q2, we plan to challenge again after reviewing our pricing strategy.