Japanese grammar
What does どんなに～うが mean? Japanese grammar N1
どんなに～うが means no matter how much one may…; however much….
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N1 |
|---|---|
| Structure | どんなに + V意向形 + が どんなに + い形かろう + が |
| Romaji | donnani uga |
| Meaning | no matter how much one may…; however much… |
Forming it
| Verb | どんなに + 頑張ろう + が |
|---|---|
| i-adjective | どんなに + つらかろう + が |
How to use it
Emphasizes an extreme degree: no matter how far A goes, the result stays the same.
- 「どんなに～うが」 = "no matter how much A..."; 「どんなに」 emphasizes an extreme DEGREE.
- Verbs take the volitional form; i-adjectives use 「～かろうが」.
- Part of the same family as 「～うが～うが」 but has only ONE clause — 「どんなに」 alone supplies the concessive meaning.
Examples
どんなに頑張ろうが、彼の記録には及ばない。
No matter how hard I try, I can’t match his record.
どんなにつらかろうが、最後までやり抜くつもりだ。
However hard it gets, I intend to see it through.
Keep in mind
- 「どんなに」 is mandatory.
- The following clause states an unchanged result.
Common mistakes
-
Wrongどんなに頑張るが、及ばない。
No matter how hard you try, it won't be enough.
Correctどんなに頑張ろうが、及ばない。
The verb must take the VOLITIONAL form (頑張ろう) before 「が」.
-
Wrong頑張ろうが、及ばない。
No matter how hard you try, it won't be enough.
Correctどんなに頑張ろうが、及ばない。
The single-clause form needs 「どんなに」 to complete the concessive meaning; without it, you must use the pair 「～うが～まいが」.
Exam tips
- 「どんなに～うが」 = "no matter how much A..."; verbs take the volitional form, and 「どんなに」 is mandatory.