connective N1 uncommon politewritten
〜であれ — whether it be ~ / no matter ~
〜であれ ・ であれ
Builds on である
Meaning
- whatever / whoever / no matter (what/who) ~ — formal; states that something holds regardless of the named noun
Key sentence
理由が何であれ、暴力は許されない。
Whatever the reason, violence is not permitted.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun / question word | N + であれ; 疑問詞 + であれ; pair with AであれBであれ; often たとえ〜であれ | 誰であれ / どんな結果であれ |
When: Written/formal (essays, declarations, rules); in speech use だろうと or でも.
Examples
相手が誰であれ、規則は平等に適用される。
Whoever it is, the rules apply equally.
どんな結果であれ、最後まで戦う。
Whatever the result, I'll fight to the end.
大人であれ子どもであれ、命の重さは変わらない。
Be it an adult or a child, the weight of a life is the same.
When you can't use it
- Attaches to nouns and question words, not verbs: 行くであれ ✗. For a verb's 'no matter ~', use the volitional + と/が (ようとも / ようがまいが).
Easily confused with
〜だろうと だろうと is the colloquial-to-neutral equivalent; であれ is more formal/written and at home in declarations. 〜ようとも であれ sweeps a *noun* ('whatever it is'); ようとも takes a *verb* in the volitional ('no matter what one does'). 〜にかかわらず にかかわらず neutrally says 'regardless of [this factor]'; であれ individualizes — it sweeps each possible value ('be it X, be it Y').
See 〜であれ in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜であれ the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled with reference to A Dictionary of Advanced Japanese Grammar.