～何でも (whatever / anything)

• Reading: なんでも
• Romaji: nan demo
• Formation: 何でも + Predicate (anything) / 何でも + Clause (apparently)
• Kanji breakdown: 何 (なん/なに, what)

Meaning

A phrase combining the interrogative 何 with でも to express 'whatever' or 'anything.' It indicates the speaker's uncertainty about a specific item while accepting any possibility within a category.

何でも combines 何 (what) with でも (even/any) to create an indefinite pronoun meaning 'anything' or 'whatever.' It can express openness and flexibility (何でもいい = anything is fine), universal inclusiveness (何でも知っている = knows everything), or slight vagueness about specifics. The pattern extends to other question words: 誰でも (anyone), どこでも (anywhere), いつでも (anytime). In casual speech, 何でも can also introduce hearsay with a nuance of uncertainty, similar to 'apparently' or 'I hear that.' This hearsay usage often appears at the beginning of a sentence. Context determines whether 何でも means 'anything at all' or 'apparently.'

Examples

1. 何でも好きなものを注文してください。 Please order whatever you like.
2. 彼女は何でもできる器用な人だ。 She is a skilful person who can do anything.
3. 何でも来週から新しいプロジェクトが始まるらしい。 Apparently a new project is starting from next week.

Usage Guide

Context: spoken, written, everyday

Tone: open

Do Say

• 何でもいいから早く決めよう。
• 何でも彼は海外に転勤になったそうだ。
• わからないことがあったら何でも質問してください。

Don't Say

• 何でもりんごを買った。(何でも means 'anything' or introduces hearsay; it cannot replace 何か (something) for a specific unknown item) → 何かりんごのようなものを買った。
• 何でもは食べられない。(何でも cannot take は directly; use 何でも食べられるわけではない for 'can't eat just anything') → 何でも食べられるわけではない。

Origin & History

何 (なに/なん) is the basic interrogative for 'what,' and でも is a combination of the copula で and the inclusive particle も. Together they form 'even what' → 'anything at all.' The hearsay usage likely developed from the vague, non-committal quality of 何でも.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal