Practice JLPTHow to tell them apart
にもかかわらず and のに both express despite/although, but にもかかわらず is formal and objective, stating a fact without emotional coloring, while のに is more casual and carries a sense of surprise, complaint, or disappointment that the result is contrary to expectation. Swapping のに for にもかかわらず in speech sounds stiff; using のに in formal writing sounds too emotional. Pattern: よく運動するにもかかわらず太っている (neutral report) vs よく運動するのに太っている (feels like grumbling).
- にもかかわらず Use にもかかわらず in formal writing or speech when stating a contrary fact objectively.
- のに Use のに in casual speech when you want to express surprise or dissatisfaction about an unexpected result.
| Grammar point | Meaning | JLPT level |
|---|---|---|
| にもかかわらず nimokakawarazu | Despite (formal) | N3 |
| のに noni | Even though/Despite | N4 |
にもかかわらず nimokakawarazu
Despite (formal)
Although; though; in spite of; despite; notwithstanding; nevertheless | Without any relation to a preceding event/situation.
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あの人はよく運動をする（の）にもかかわらず、太っている。
He is fat, although he exercises a lot.
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キャロルは日本に三年も住んでいた（の）にもかかわらず、日本語は大変下手だ。
Although Carol lived in Japan for three years, her Japanese is very poor.
のに noni
Even though/Despite
Contrary to everybody’s expectation based on the sentence preceding [x], the proposition in the sentence following [x] is the case.
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あの人はピアノが上手なのにめったに弾きません。
He is good at piano, but seldom plays.
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このステーキは高いのに美味しくない・美味しくありません。
In spite of the fact that this steak is expensive, it isn't delicious.
にもかかわらず and のに are JLPT N4–N3 grammar points that Japanese learners often mix up. This page compares them side by side — meanings, usage and example sentences — so you can tell them apart.