connective N2 uncommon casualwritten
〜てでも — even by ~ / even if it means ~
〜てでも ・ てでも
Builds on て形
Meaning
- even by ~ / even if it means ~ — naming an extreme method one is willing to resort to in order to achieve a goal
The て-form + でも presents a drastic, normally-unwelcome *means* and says the speaker would use even that to get what they want. 借金してでも、その車を買いたい ('I want that car even if it means going into debt'). The first clause is the extreme measure; the second is a strong desire, intention, or resolve. It answers 'how far would you go?' — and the answer is 'even this far'.
Key sentence
徹夜してでも、明日までに仕上げます。
I'll finish it by tomorrow even if I have to stay up all night.
Formation
| Attaches to | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb て-form + でも | Vて + でも | 歩いてでも / 無理をしてでも |
When: The second clause carries strong will — 〜たい, 〜つもりだ, a volitional, or a firm assertion. The て-clause names a measure most people would rather avoid.
Examples
どんな手を使ってでも、彼を止める。
I'll stop him by whatever means it takes.
親に頼んででも、留学の費用を工面したい。
I want to scrape together the study-abroad money even if I have to ask my parents.
タクシーを使ってでも、始発に間に合わせよう。
Let's make the first train even if we have to take a taxi.
Easily confused with
〜ても ても is the general 'even if ~' concession (雨が降っても行く); てでも specifically frames an *extreme means* the speaker would resort to — 'even by going so far as ~'. ても concedes a condition; てでも offers a sacrifice. 〜さえ〜ば さえ〜ば names the one minimum condition that would suffice ('if only ~'); てでも names the extreme lengths one would go to — opposite ends of the effort scale.
Notes
- The full shape is 〜てでも〜たい/〜する — pair the extreme means with a clause of strong desire or determination, or it sounds incomplete.
See 〜てでも in real sentences
Jengo shows 〜てでも 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.