What does どんなに～ても mean? Japanese grammar N3

Forming it

How to use it

Emphasizes that no matter how high the degree is pushed, the conclusion doesn't change.

• 「どんなに～ても」 = no matter how much... 「どんなに」 is just an emphasizing adverb; the backbone of the sentence is still 「～ても」.
• i-adjectives must change to 「くても」: 「どんなに高くても買う」. na-adjectives and nouns use 「でも」.
• Can be replaced with 「いくら～ても」 (colloquial) or 「どれだけ～ても」. The second clause is usually a firm conclusion, often with 「必ず・絶対に」.

Examples

• どんなに勉強(べんきょう)しても、まだ分(わ)からないことがある。

  No matter how much I study, there are still things I do not understand.

• どんなに高(たか)くても、この薬(くすり)は買(か)わなければならない。

  No matter how expensive it is, I have to buy this medicine.

Keep in mind

• I-adjectives use 「くても」; na-adjectives use 「でも」.
• The following clause states an unchanging conclusion.

Common mistakes

• Wrongどんなに高(たか)いても買(か)います。

  No matter how expensive it is, I'll buy it.

  Correctどんなに高(たか)くても買(か)います。

  i-adjectives must change to 「くても」.

• Wrongどんなに大変(たいへん)にても、頑張(がんば)ります。

  No matter how hard it is, I'll do my best.

  Correctどんなに大変(たいへん)でも、頑張(がんば)ります。

  na-adjectives and nouns use 「でも」.

Exam tips

• 「どんなに～ても」 = no matter how much; i-adjective → 「くても」, na-adjective/N → 「でも」.

Related patterns

• いくら～ても
• ～ても
• ～にしても