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JLPT N3Connectives

～ものの— Although / And Yet

A concessive conjunction meaning 'although / even though'. It admits a fact in the first clause, then presents a contrasting or unexpected reality in the second — typically the result falls short of what the first clause would lead you to expect. It is more formal and written than けれど or が.

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Pro lessonUNIT 94 · CONNECTIVES

Structure · 形

[Verb/い-adj plain form] + ものの; [な-adj] + な / である + ものの; [Noun] + である + ものの

Examples · 例文

  • 日本語を三年勉強したものの、まだうまく話せない。

    Nihongo wo sannen benkyou shita mono no, mada umaku hanasenai.

    Although I studied Japanese for three years, I still can't speak it well.

    勉強した + ものの = concedes the study but result falls short

  • 買うと約束したものの、お金が足りなかった。

    Kau to yakusoku shita mono no, okane ga tarinakatta.

    Although I promised to buy it, I didn't have enough money.

    約束した + ものの = an admitted fact contradicted by reality

  • 便利であるものの、値段が高すぎる。

    Benri de aru mono no, nedan ga takasugiru.

    It's convenient, but the price is too high.

    便利 + である + ものの = な-adj/noun takes である before ものの

Usage notes · 注意

  • Register: formal/written.
  • The two clauses usually share the same subject.
  • とはいうものの = 'that said…', a set phrase at sentence start.
  • Result often shows things didn't go as the first clause implied.

Commonly confused with

The JLPT rarely asks whether you recognise a pattern — it asks which of several similar patterns fits. These are the ones ～ものの is tested against.

vsのに

ものの is neutral/formal concession; ～のに adds surprise, dissatisfaction or reproach ('and yet, unfairly…').

vsとはいえ

ものの concedes a fact then states a shortfall; ～とはいえ concedes a generalization then qualifies it ('even so…').

More connectives

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