adverbial N4 common casualpolitewritten
いつ(で)も — always / any time / whenever
いつ(で)も ・ いつでも
Meaning
① いつでも — any time: any time / whenever (you like) — question word いつ + でも: free choice of time, 'no matter when'
② いつも — always: always / usually / every time — describes a habitual, unchanging state (no でも)
The で is the difference. いつでも (with で) is the question-word-+-でも free-choice indefinite — 'any time you choose'. いつも (without で) is the plain frequency adverb 'always/usually', describing what habitually happens. Don't swap them: いつも来る = 'always comes (habit)'; いつでも来られる = 'can come any time'.
Key sentence
① いつでも — any time
いつでも遊びに来てください。
Come visit any time.
② いつも — always
彼はいつも遅刻する。
He's always late.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed adverbs (いつ + でも / いつ + も) | いつでも / いつも | いつでもいい / いつも通り |
Examples
① いつでも — any time
電話はいつでも大丈夫です。
You can call me any time.
必要なら、いつでも手伝うよ。
If you need it, I'll help you whenever.
② いつも — always
いつもありがとうございます。
Thank you, as always.
週末はいつも家にいる。
I'm always home on weekends.
Easily confused with
Notes
- Negative: いつも〜ない = 'not always' (partial), but 全然〜ない / 一度も〜ない is 'never'.
See いつ(で)も in real sentences
Jengo shows いつ(で)も the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in Jengo