Japanese grammar
What does もし～ても mean? Japanese grammar N3
もし～ても means even if ~; even supposing ~.
| Level (estimated, JLPT framework) | N3 |
|---|---|
| Structure | もし + Vて + も もし + い形（くて）+ も もし + な形／N + でも |
| Romaji | moshi temo |
| Meaning | even if ~; even supposing ~ |
Forming it
| Noun | 失敗 → もし失敗でも |
|---|---|
| Verb | 降る → もし雨が降っても |
How to use it
Hypothesizes an unfavorable situation, then asserts that the conclusion still doesn't change.
- 「もし～ても」 = even if..., still... The second clause is a firm conclusion: 「もし雨が降っても、試合は行います」.
- 「もし」 emphasizes the HYPOTHETICAL nature; if it's a fact that already happened, drop 「もし」: 「雨が降っても、行きました」.
- To emphasize further, add 「たとえ」: 「たとえ何があっても」 — the highest degree of firmness.
Examples
もし雨が降っても、ピクニックには行きます。
Even if it rains, we will go on the picnic.
もし高くても、この辞書は買うつもりだ。
Even if it is expensive, I intend to buy this dictionary.
Keep in mind
- I-adjectives use 「くても」; nouns use 「でも」.
- The following clause states an unchanging conclusion.
Common mistakes
-
Wrongもし高いても、買います。
Even if it's expensive, I'll still buy it.
Correctもし高くても、買います。
i-adjectives change to 「くても」.
-
Wrongもし昨日雨が降っても、試合をしました。
Yesterday, even though it rained, we still played the match.
Correct昨日は雨が降っても、試合をしました。
For something that actually already happened, don't use 「もし」.
Exam tips
- 「もし～ても」 = even if..., still...; to emphasize further use 「たとえ～ても」.