Grammar › Concession & Contrast
こそあれ — “even though there is/are…” (concessive emphasis)
A literary way to concede a fact strongly before pivoting hard to a contrasting point
Noun + こそあれ (from the classical あり, “to be”) concedes that something exists or is true — often emphatically — before pivoting to a contrasting conclusion, usually a negation: “there may indeed be X, but not Y.” It's rare, literary, and mostly seen in set, somewhat old-fashioned phrasing.
How to form it
| Pattern | Example |
|---|---|
| Noun + こそあれ | 多少の違いこそあれ、基本的な考え方は同じだ — There may be some minor differences, but the basic idea is the same |
Example sentences
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 表現の違いこそあれ、言いたいことは変わらない。 | ひょうげんのちがいこそあれ、いいたいことはかわらない。 hyougennochigaikosoare、iitaikotohakawaranai。 | The wording may differ, but what's being said doesn't change. |
| 程度の差こそあれ、誰にでも欠点はある。 | ていどのさこそあれ、だれにでもけってんはある。 teidonosakosoare、darenidemokettenhaaru。 | The degree may vary, but everyone has flaws. |
| 苦労こそあれ、後悔はしていない。 | くろうこそあれ、こうかいはしていない。 kuroukosoare、koukaihashiteinai。 | There was hardship, sure, but I have no regrets. |
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Watch out
こそあれ is quite formal and literary — in ordinary speech, 〜はあるが or 〜こそあるものの reads far more naturally; save こそあれ for writing that intentionally aims for a weighty, classical tone.