How to tell them apart
にしても and にしろ・にせよ both mark concession, but にしろ・にせよ is the sterner, more formal N1 form often used in commands, warnings, or hypothetical extremes (たとえ練習にしろ), whereas にしても is the everyday N3 form for admitting a fact or softening a contrast (中国の影響が濃厚であるにしても). Swapping them is unnatural when にしろ・にせよ appears in a blunt, prescriptive sentence — にしても there sounds too mild.
- にしても Use にしても in everyday speech when you admit a fact or soften a contrast.
- にしろ・せよ Use にしろ・にせよ in formal or blunt contexts like warnings, commands, or hypothetical extremes.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| にしても nishitemo | Even if; whether; in any case | N3 |
| にしろ・せよ nishiro seyo | whether or not; even granting that; in any case | N1 |
にしても nishitemo
Even if; whether; in any case
にしても concedes a point, meaning something holds true even granting a condition, or that the outcome is the same regardless. It follows plain-form verbs, i-adjectives, and nouns, and appears in set phrases like いずれにしても (in any case) and たとえ〜にしても (even if).
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チャンスというものはいずれにしても、まれにしかない。
Chances come rarely in any case.
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その計画の支持者は、たとえあるにしてもほとんどない。
There are few, if any, supporters of the plan.
にしろ・せよ nishiro seyo
whether or not; even granting that; in any case
にしろ・せよ is an emphatic imperative form used in proverbs and commands, as in 人にもせよ and 行動せよ. In the pattern いずれにせよ it means 'at any rate', and with a verb or noun plus にせよ it concedes 'even if/even though', as in 謝罪はあったにせよ. It carries a formal, written tone.
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自分が人からしてもらいたいと思うことは人にもせよ。
Do as you would be done by.
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ローマにいるときは、ローマ人と同じように行動せよ。
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
にしても and にしろ・せよ are JLPT N3–N1 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side on meanings, usage and example sentences, so you can tell them apart.