“〜temo”: Even If 〜, No Matter 〜 [JLPT N3]
By Nihongo to Japan · Updated July 3, 2026
「雨が降っても行く」「何時間待っても来ない」 — ても expresses ‘no matter the condition, the result is unchanged.'
“〜temo”: Even If 〜, No Matter 〜
「(verb te-form/い-adj くて/noun・な-adj で) ＋ も」 means “even if 〜, no matter 〜” — an adversative hypothetical condition, expressing that no matter the first condition, the result is unchanged. E.g. 「雨が降っても、行きます」 (even if it rains, I'll go), 「何時間待っても、来ない」 (no matter how many hours I wait, they don't come), 「高くても買う」 (even if it's expensive, I'll buy it). ⚠️ Connection: verb te-form ＋ も (降って→降っても), い-adj くて ＋ も (高い→高くても), noun/な-adj ＋ でも (雨でも, 便利でも). ⚠️ Often with 「たとえ〜ても」 (たとえ失敗しても = even if I fail), 「いくら〜ても/何度〜ても」 (no matter how/how many times). ⚠️ 「〜てもいい」 = may 〜 (permission, a different use).
🧠 Core nuance: no matter the first condition, the result is unchanged (adversative concession)
The core is an adversative hypothetical concession: no matter the first clause (condition), the latter (result) is unchanged: 「〜ても」 expresses ‘even if …, no matter … (the result is the same)' (雨が降っても行く = even if it rains, go, いくら高くても買う = no matter how expensive, buy, 何度言っても聞かない = no matter how many times I say it, they don't listen). It carries a concessive ‘the first condition doesn't affect the latter result' nuance. ⚠️ Connection: verb te-form ＋ も (降る→降って→降っても, する→して→しても); い-adjective くて ＋ も (高い→高くても, 寒い→寒くても); noun/な-adj ＋ でも (雨でも, 学生でも, 便利でも). ⚠️ Often with emphasizers: 「たとえ〜ても」 (even if …, reinforcing the hypothesis: たとえ失敗してもまた挑戦する = even if I fail, I'll try again), 「いくら〜ても」 (no matter how …: いくら待っても来ない), 「何度〜ても/何回〜ても」 (no matter how many times: 何度説明してもわからない). ⚠️ 「〜てもいい」 = may 〜 (permission) (帰ってもいいですか? = may I go home?, this is the permission use, not concession). An N3 pattern for adversative concession.
📌 How to Connect
| Part of speech | Connection | Example |
|---|---|---|
| verb | te-form ＋ も | 降っても |
| い-adjective | くて ＋ も | 高くても |
| noun/な-adj | ＋ でも | 雨でも |
| (emphasis) たとえ〜ても | even if 〜 | たとえ失敗しても |
💬 Example Sentences
- 雨が降っても、試合は行います。(Even if it rains, the match will be held.) — verb te-form
- どんなに高くても、これは買いたい。(No matter how expensive, I want to buy this.) — い-adj くても
- 何時間待っても、彼は来なかった。(No matter how many hours I waited, he didn't come.) — no matter
- たとえ失敗しても、また挑戦します。(Even if I fail, I'll try again.) — たとえ〜ても
- もう帰ってもいいですか?(May I go home now?) — てもいい (permission)
🔄 Compare: ても vs たら vs ば vs のに
| Expression | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 〜ても | “even if 〜” (adversative concession, result unchanged) | 雨でも行く |
| 〜たら | “if 〜” (hypothetical condition, consecutive) | 雨だったら行かない |
| 〜ば | “if 〜” (hypothetical condition) | 安ければ買う |
| 〜のに | “even though 〜, yet” (adversative, with surprise/dissatisfaction) | 約束したのに来ない |
⚠️ Common Mistakes
- Connection: verb te-form ＋ も (降っても), い-adj くて ＋ も (高くても), noun/な-adj ＋ でも (雨でも, ✗ 高いても).
- ても vs たら: ても = even if … (result unchanged, adversative); たら = if … then (result changes accordingly, consecutive) — opposite directions!
- Often with emphasizers: たとえ〜ても, いくら〜ても, 何度〜ても (reinforcing concession).
- てもいい is permission: 〜てもいい = may … (permission), not the concession use.
💡 Nuance & When to Use
「ても」 means “even if 〜, no matter 〜,” an adversative hypothetical concession where no matter the first condition, the result is unchanged (雨が降っても行く, いくら高くても買う). Attaches to verb te-form ＋ も, い-adj くて ＋ も, noun/な-adj ＋ でも. Often with たとえ/いくら/何度. ⚠️ Distinguish from the consecutive-hypothetical たら/ば — ても even if … (result unchanged), たら/ば if … then (result changes accordingly). 「〜てもいい」 is permission. An N3 pattern for adversative concession. A must.
🎯 JLPT Exam Tips
- N3 core: verb te-form/い-adj くて/noun でも ＋ も = even if 〜, no matter 〜 (adversative concession, result unchanged); often with たとえ/いくら/何度.
- Core distinction: ても (even if …, result unchanged, adversative) vs たら/ば (if … then, result changes, consecutive).
- Connection: verb te-form ＋ も, い-adj くて ＋ も, noun/な-adj ＋ でも; 〜てもいい = permission.
🖊️ Practice Quiz
Q1. What is the correct 「ても」 form of 「高い」?
(A) 高いても (B) 高くても (C) 高でも (D) 高だても
Q2. 「雨が___ても行きます。」(even if it rains, I'll go) Which is correct?
(A) 降り (B) 降る (C) 降って (D) 降った
Q3. What does 「何度説明してもわからない」 mean?
(A) understood after one explanation
(B) no need to explain
(C) no matter how many times I explain, they don't understand
(D) understand without explaining
Q4. What does 「帰ってもいいですか」 mean?
(A) going home won't change the result
(B) asking permission to go home
(C) going home is hard
(D) don't want to go home
Q5. Which English is closest to 「たとえ失敗しても、また挑戦します」?
(A) Because I failed, I'll try again
(B) Even if I fail, I'll try again
(C) Since I won't fail, I'll try
(D) I failed, so I won't try
Answer Key
1. (B) 高くても ── an い-adjective's ても: い→く ＋ ても (高い→高くても). (A) attaches て directly (wrong); (C) is the noun form.
2. (C) 降って ── the te-form ＋ も: 降っても = even if it rains.
3. (C) ── 何度説明しても = no matter how many times I explain, they don't understand.
4. (B) ── 〜てもいいですか = asking permission: may I go home?
5. (B) Even if I fail, I'll try again ── たとえ〜ても = even if … (concessive condition).