even if one says

having a comeback or excuse for everything one is told, being smart in the sense of having a smart mouth

to say, to tell somebody / to call, to name, to give a name / to cry, to call, to make a noise (such as an animal)

past tense and perfective aspect of 言う (iu, yū) [godan]

nonetheless, although, be that as it may

in other words; what I (you, etc.) mean is

to startle; to surprise; to astonish

(idiomatic) just as [someone] says

as a matter of fact; to tell the truth

saying as much as one wants (usually complaints)