～でも (even)

• Reading: でも
• Romaji: demo
• Formation: Noun + でも / Question word + でも

Meaning

A particle meaning 'even' that attaches to nouns and question words to indicate an extreme or inclusive example. It suggests that if something applies even in the stated case, it certainly applies in other cases too.

でも as 'even' is formed from the copula で (te-form of だ/です) plus the inclusive particle も. When attached to a noun, it highlights that noun as an extreme or representative case. With interrogative words (誰でも, 何でも, どこでも, いつでも), it creates universal expressions meaning 'anyone,' 'anything,' 'anywhere,' 'anytime.' It is distinct from the conjunctive でも meaning 'but/however' at the start of a sentence. When used with specific nouns, でも can also suggest 'or something like that,' softening a suggestion: コーヒーでも飲みましょうか means 'Shall we have coffee or something?'

Examples

1. 子供でもこの問題が解ける。 Even a child can solve this problem.
2. 何でも好きなものを注文してください。 Please order anything you like.
3. お茶でも飲みませんか。 Would you like to have some tea or something?

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: inclusive

Do Say

• 雨の日でも毎日走っている。
• どこでもいいから座ろう。
• 誰でも最初は失敗するものだ。

Don't Say

• 子供もでもできる。(も and でも are both inclusive — using both is redundant: 子供でもできる) → 子供でもできる。
• 何がでも食べたい。(が cannot precede でも — use 何でも directly: 何でも食べたい) → 何でも食べたい。

Origin & History

Composed of the copula で (te-form of だ) and the inclusive particle も, together expressing 'even being X.' This combination has been productive in Japanese since the early modern period.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal