～のに
although / despite
～のに connects two clauses when the second one goes against what the first one leads you to expect. It attaches to the plain form of verbs and い-adjectives, and to nouns and な-adjectives with な in between (なのに).
In English it maps to “even though” or “despite”. Importantly, it carries a feeling of surprise or dissatisfaction: the speaker thinks the result is unfair, disappointing, or strange.
1. A result that contradicts expectation
The clause before のに sets up an expectation and the clause after it states the surprising or disappointing reality.
勉強したのに、テストに落ちた。
“Even though I studied, I failed the test.”
- 勉強した（べんきょうした）= studied
- のに = even though
- テスト = test
- に = marks what was failed
- 落ちた（おちた）= failed (literally “fell”)
2. With nouns and な-adjectives: なのに
After a noun or a な-adjective, add な before のに.
日曜日なのに、仕事がある。
“Even though it's Sunday, I have work.”
- 日曜日（にちようび）= Sunday
- なのに = even though it is
- 仕事（しごと）= work
- が = subject marker
- ある = there is / (I) have
Unlike ～けど, which is a neutral “but”, ～のに adds emotion: the speaker is complaining or surprised that the result turned out this way.
How to form it
Plain form + のに (nouns and な-adjectives take なのに)
- 勉強する（べんきょうする）= to study → 勉強したのに（べんきょうしたのに）= even though (I) studied
- 高い（たかい）= expensive → 高いのに（たかいのに）= even though it is expensive
- 日曜日（にちようび）= Sunday → 日曜日なのに（にちようびなのに）= even though it is Sunday
Key idea
～のに means “even though A, B” and it tells the listener that you find B unexpected or unfair given A.
Built on the same stem
Updated .