～たって (even if)

• Reading: たって
• Romaji: tatte
• Formation: Verb た-form + って / い-Adj → -くたって / な-Adj → だって / Noun + だって

Meaning

A casual expression meaning 'even if someone did something or something were in some state, the desired result would not come about.' It is the informal equivalent of ても.

たって is the colloquial counterpart of ても, used primarily in casual conversation. It is formed by adding って to the た-form of verbs or だ for nouns and な-adjectives. For い-adjectives, くたって is used. Like ても, it expresses that the expected result does not follow from the condition. たって carries a slightly dismissive or resigned tone and is more emphatic than ても in expressing futility or inevitability. It is not appropriate for formal speech or writing, where ても should be used instead.

Examples

1. いくら走ったってバスには間に合わないよ。 No matter how much you run, you won't make it to the bus.
2. 何回聞いたって答えは同じだよ。 No matter how many times you ask, the answer is the same.
3. 安くたって品質が悪ければ意味がない。 Even if it's cheap, there's no point if the quality is bad.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, everyday

Tone: dismissive

Do Say

• そんなに急いだって無理だよ。
• 泣いたって許してあげないからね。
• 文句を言ったって何も変わらないよ。

Don't Say

• 頑張ったって無駄でございます。(たって is casual — do not combine with formal expressions like ございます) → 頑張っても無駄でございます。
• 高いたって買いたい。(い-adjective form is 高くたって, not 高いたって) → 高くたって買いたい。

Origin & History

たって is a contraction of たとて or ても, developed in the Edo period as a casual spoken alternative to the more formal concessive forms.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal