〜ても: How to Say 'Even If' / 'Even Though' in Japanese
What it means
〜ても tells you that something is true even if — or even though — a certain condition applies. The condition doesn't change the outcome. Think of it as "no matter X, Y."
It builds straight on the て-form you already know. The trick is that the verb's て (or で) becomes ても (or でも). The same is true whether you're talking about a hypothetical ("even if it rains") or a real fact ("even though it's expensive").
雨が降っても、ヤッタンは散歩に行きます。
あめが ふっても、ヤッタンは さんぽに いきます。
Even if it rains, Yattan will go for a walk.
高くても、この本を買います。
たかくても、この ほんを かいます。
Even if it's expensive, I'll buy this book.
高い (い-adj) → 高くても.
モチはたくさん食べても、太りません。
モチは たくさん たべても、ふとりません。
Even though Mochi eats a lot, he doesn't gain weight.
How to form it
Start from the て-form, then swap the ending for ても / でも. Note that verbs whose て-form already ends in で (like 読んで, 飲んで) become でも:
| Word type | How to form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb (て-ending) | て-form + も | 行く → 行っても (even if I go) |
| Verb (で-ending) | て-form + も → でも | 読む → 読んでも (even if I read) |
| い-adjective | drop い + くても | 高い → 高くても (even if expensive) |
| な-adjective | な-adj + でも | 静か → 静かでも (even if quiet) |
| Noun | noun + でも | 学生 → 学生でも (even if a student) |
The negative works too: just use the negative て-form. 食べなくても = "even if I don't eat," 高くなくても = "even if it's not expensive."
Verbs: "even if" and "even though"
The same ても covers both a hypothetical "even if" and a factual "even though" — context tells you which:
先生に聞いても、答えが分かりませんでした。
せんせいに きいても、こたえが わかりませんでした。
Even though I asked the teacher, I didn't understand the answer.
Past context = 'even though.'
この薬を飲んでも、頭が痛いです。
この くすりを のんでも、あたまが いたいです。
Even if I take this medicine, my head hurts.
飲む → 飲んで → 飲んでも (で-ending).
Adjectives and nouns
い-adjectives drop the final い and add くても. な-adjectives and nouns add でも:
ヤッタンの弟は、眠くても勉強します。
ヤッタンの おとうとは、ねむくても べんきょうします。
Yattan's little brother studies even when he's sleepy.
眠い → 眠くても.
日曜日でも、先生は学校で働いています。
にちようびでも、せんせいは がっこうで はたらいて います。
Even on Sundays, the teacher is working at school.
Noun 日曜日 + でも.
Question word + ても = "no matter…"
Pair ても with a question word (何, どこ, だれ, いつ, どんなに) and you get "no matter what / where / how…":
モチは何を食べても太りません。
モチは なにを たべても ふとりません。
No matter what Mochi eats, he doesn't gain weight.
何 + ても = no matter what.
どんなに難しくても、ヤッタンはあきらめません。
どんなに むずかしくても、ヤッタンは あきらめません。
No matter how difficult it is, Yattan won't give up.
どんなに…くても = no matter how….
A familiar relative: 〜てもいい
You already met this ても base in N5 with 〜てもいい ("may / it's OK to"). Literally that's "even if you do X, it's fine" — same building block, just followed by いい. Recognizing the shared 〜ても helps both patterns click into place.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting で after voiced verbs. If the て-form ends in で, ても becomes でも: 読んでも (✓), not 読んても.
- Keeping the い on い-adjectives. Drop it: 高くても (✓), not 高いても.
- Confusing ても with けど. けど ("but") just contrasts two facts; ても means "even if/though" and stresses that the result holds regardless. 高いけど買う = "it's expensive, but I'll buy it"; 高くても買う = "even if it's expensive, I'll buy it."
- Using ても for a plain condition. For a simple "if," use 〜たら or 〜ば. ても adds the "even" — an unexpected or unchanged result.
Quick recap
- 〜ても = "even if" / "even though"; the result holds regardless of the condition.
- Verbs: て-form + も (で-endings → でも): 行っても, 読んでも.
- い-adjectives → 〜くても (高くても); nouns / な-adjectives → 〜でも (学生でも, 静かでも).
- Question word + ても = "no matter…": 何を食べても, どんなに難しくても.
- Same ても base as the N5 permission pattern 〜てもいい.
Your turn
Choose the correct 〜ても / 〜でも / 〜くても form.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between ても and けど?
けど ('but') simply contrasts two facts. ても means 'even if/even though' and stresses that the outcome doesn't change. 高いけど買う = 'it's pricey, but I'll buy it'; 高くても買う = 'even if it's pricey, I'll buy it.'
When does ても become でも?
When the て-form already ends in で. Verbs like 読む → 読んで, 飲む → 飲んで, 死ぬ → 死んで become 読んでも, 飲んでも, 死んでも. Nouns and な-adjectives also take でも: 学生でも, 静かでも.
How do I attach ても to an い-adjective?
Drop the final い and add くても: 高い → 高くても, 寒い → 寒くても. The negative is 〜くなくても (高くなくても = 'even if it's not expensive').
How do I say 'no matter what / how'?
Use a question word with ても: 何を食べても ('no matter what I eat'), どこへ行っても ('no matter where I go'), どんなに難しくても ('no matter how difficult it is').