“〜donna 〜demo”: Any Kind of 〜 [JLPT N4]

Content by NTJ Kuma · Nihongo to Japan editorial team · Updated July 27, 2026

「どんな困難でも」 — “no matter what kind,” covering every type (vs どんなに〜ても = degree).

「どんな困難でも乗り越える」 — no matter what kind, ~

「どんな困難でも乗り越える」 (I'll overcome any difficulty, whatever it is) — 「どんな ＋ noun ＋ でも」 means “no matter what kind of ~, (it applies)”, covering all kinds of some category, stressing “across the board, no exceptions.” It's often confused with 「どんなに〜ても (no matter how ~)」 — one is about “kind,” the other “degree.” This guide covers どんな〜でも and separates it from どんなに〜ても.

Core: covers all “kinds,” applies across the board

「どんな ＋ noun ＋ でも」 = “whatever kind of ~, ~” (covering all kinds of that category):

• どんな質問でも答える (I'll answer any question).
• どんな人でも歓迎 (everyone's welcome, whoever).

Feel: “all of a category, no exceptions.” Often followed by “is okay, can, is welcome.”

How to Connect

Examples in context

• どんな困難でも、乗り越えてみせる。(Whatever the difficulty, I'll overcome it.) — all kinds
• どんな質問でも、遠慮なく聞いてください。(Ask any question, don't hold back.) — all welcome
• この店はどんな料理でもおいしい。(At this place, any dish is delicious.) — all kinds
• 誰でも参加できます。(Anyone can join.) — question word ＋ でも
• どんなに頑張っても、結果が出ない。(No matter how hard I try, no results.) — degree (contrast)

⚠️ Common mistakes to avoid

① Don't confuse どんな (kind) vs どんなに (degree). どんな ＋ noun ＋ でも = no matter what “kind” (どんな人でも = anyone); どんなに ＋ adj／adv ＋ ても = no matter what “degree” (どんなに難しくても = no matter how hard). One takes a noun, the other an adjective.

② 「どんな」 must be followed by a noun. どんなことでも, どんな時でも (✗ どんなでも alone). 「どんな」 is a prenominal, modifying a noun.

③ Question word ＋ でも covers all. 誰でも, 何でも, いつでも, どこでも = anyone／anything／anytime／anywhere. It's the どんな〜でも family.

🔄 Nuance & comparison: どんな〜でも／どんなに〜ても／question word ＋ でも

💡 The key point in use

For 「どんな〜でも」, one contrast keeps you right: どんな ＋ noun ＋ でも = no matter what “kind” (どんな料理でも = any dish); どんなに ＋ adjective ＋ ても = no matter what “degree” (どんなに高くても = no matter how expensive). The difference is a noun after 「どんな」 vs an adjective/adverb after 「どんなに」. Its family 「誰でも・何でも・いつでも・どこでも」 all mean “whatever/whoever,” super handy. Use it to stress “across the board, no exceptions.”

❓ Common questions

Q: 「どんな〜でも」 vs 「どんなに〜ても」?

By “kind” vs “degree”: 「どんな ＋ noun ＋ でも」 = no matter what kind (どんな問題でも = any problem); 「どんなに ＋ adj／adv ＋ ても」 = no matter how (degree) (どんなに難しくても = no matter how hard). Check whether a noun follows (use どんな〜でも) or an adjective (use どんなに〜ても).

Q: Are 「誰でも」「何でも」 the same as 「どんな〜でも」?

Same family, same “covers all.” 「question word ＋ でも」 (誰でも = anyone, 何でも = anything, いつでも = anytime, どこでも = anywhere) is the most concise; 「どんな ＋ noun ＋ でも」 is “no matter which (noun),” letting you be more specific (どんな仕事でも = whatever the job). Same idea — choose whether to name the noun.

🖊️ Practice Quiz

Q1. 「___困難でも、乗り越えられる。」(no matter what difficulty) Which is correct?

(A) どんな　(B) いくら　(C) どんなに　(D) なんと

Q2. 「___頑張っても、結果が出ない。」(no matter how hard I try) Which is correct?

(A) どんな　(B) どんなに　(C) どの　(D) なんの

Q3. Which sentence is correct?

(A) どんなに人でも歓迎する。

(B) どんな人でも歓迎する。

(C) どんなに困難でも、種類を表す。

(D) どんな難しくても解く。

Q4. 「___質問でも、遠慮なく聞いてください。」(any kind of question) Which is correct?

(A) どんなに　(B) どんな　(C) いくら　(D) なんと

Q5. What's the difference between 「どんな＋noun＋でも」 and 「どんなに＋adjective＋ても」?

(A) no difference

(B) the former is about ‘kind,' the latter about ‘degree'

(C) the former is about ‘degree,' the latter about ‘kind'

(D) both are about time

Answer Key

1. (A) どんな ── どんな ＋ noun (困難) ＋ でも = no matter what kind; about ‘kind.' (C) どんなに takes an adjective/adverb (degree).

2. (B) どんなに ── どんなに ＋ 頑張っても = no matter how hard; どんなに is about ‘degree.'

3. (B) どんな人でも歓迎する ── どんな ＋ noun ＋ でも (kind); (A) ✗ どんなに人, (D) ✗ どんな難しくても (an adjective takes どんなに).

4. (B) どんな ── どんな質問でも = any kind of question; a noun takes どんな.

5. (B) ── どんな ＋ noun ＋ でも = kind (which one); どんなに ＋ adjective/adverb ＋ ても = degree (how much).