At a glance
～とはいえ means "although" or "even though". You accept that the first part is true, then say something that does not match what you would expect from it.
Verb / い-adj (plain form) + とはいえ
な-adj / Noun (+ だ) + とはいえ
春とはいえ、まだ寒い日が多い。 Although it's spring, there are still many cold days.
How to form it
とはいえ attaches to the plain form. With な-adjectives and nouns, だ is optional.
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | plain form + とはいえ | 勝ったとはいえ, 知っているとはいえ |
| い-adjective | plain form + とはいえ | 暑いとはいえ, 高くないとはいえ |
| な-adjective | stem (+ だ) + とはいえ | 簡単とはいえ / 簡単だとはいえ |
| Noun | noun (+ だ) + とはいえ | 子供とはいえ / 子供だとはいえ |
| Start of sentence | とはいえ、 + sentence | とはいえ、まだ安心はできない。 |
The register is somewhat formal. It is common in writing and formal speech, and it is also used in conversation.