JapaneseJLPT
JLPT N3 grammar · Chapter 4

どんなに~ても・いくら~ても

No matter how much or how strongly

You’ll be able to say that a result does not change, regardless of degree, amount, or effort.

Illustration of the scene described by No matter how busy I am, I make sure to eat a proper breakfast.
Read it first

どんなに忙いそがしくても、朝あさご飯はんはしっかり食たべます。

donna ni isogashikute mo, asagohan wa shikkari tabemasu.

What do you think this sentence means?

No matter how busy I am, I make sure to eat a proper breakfast.

Why it means that

No matter how much or how far

どんなに~ても and いくら~ても mean “no matter how....” They emphasize that the main result remains unchanged even at an extreme degree.

Examples

いくら呼よんでも、猫ねこは来きません。

ikura yonde mo, neko wa kimasen.

No matter how many times I call, the cat will not come.

どんなに高たかくても、このカメラがほしいです。

donna ni takakute mo, kono kamera ga hoshii desu.

No matter how expensive it is, I want this camera.

How it is built

Use the て-form plus も

Both go before a predicate in て-form + も. Use どんなに especially for degree, such as how busy something is or how strongly an action is done; use いくら especially for amount, degree, or repeated actions.

どんなに/いくら+condition+ても+unchanged result
Example

いくら練習れんしゅうしても、すぐには上手じょうずになりません。

ikura renshuu shite mo, sugu ni wa jouzu ni narimasen.

No matter how much you practice, you will not become good at it right away.

Examples

いくら探さがしても、家いえの鍵かぎが見みつからない。

ikura sagashite mo, ie no kagi ga mitsukaranai.

No matter how much I search, I can’t find my house key.

どんなに疲つかれていても、寝ねる前まえに歯はをみがきます。

donna ni tsukarete ite mo, neru mae ni ha o migakimasu.

No matter how tired I am, I brush my teeth before bed.

いくら安やすくても、使つかわない物ものは買かわないことにしている。

ikura yasukute mo, tsukawanai mono wa kawanai koto ni shite iru.

No matter how cheap something is, I make a point of not buying things I won’t use.

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