connective N3 common casualpolitewritten
たとえ〜ても — even if ~
たとえ〜ても ・ たとえても
Builds on て形
Meaning
- even if ~ / even supposing ~ — concedes a hypothetical, often extreme, case and says it wouldn't change the outcome
Key sentence
たとえ雨が降っても、試合は行われる。
Even if it rains, the match will be held.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| たとえ + Verb / adjective (て-form + も); Noun + でも | たとえ + V-ても / A-くても / N でも | たとえ失敗しても / たとえ子供でも |
Examples
たとえどんなに反対されても、私は決めた道を行く。
Even if everyone opposes me, I'll follow the path I've chosen.
たとえ冗談でも、そんなことを言ってはいけない。
Even as a joke, you shouldn't say something like that.
Easily confused with
どんなに〜ても たとえ〜ても concedes whether something happens at all ('even if it does'). どんなに〜ても concedes the degree of something taken as real ('no matter how much it does'). 〜ても Bare 〜ても already means 'even if.' Adding たとえ strengthens it, marking the case as especially hypothetical or extreme — 'even supposing the worst.'
Notes
- たとえ at the front flags the clause as a hypothetical or extreme supposition; it pairs with the ても/でも that follows and is often reinforced by どんなに.
See たとえ〜ても in real sentences
Jengo shows たとえ〜ても the way you actually meet it: inside real Japanese sentences, so it sticks instead of staying an abstract rule.
Study it in JengoSources Compiled from published Japanese grammar references.