N41/160

でも

何でも + いい誰でも + いいどんな + でも + いいでも + clause (conjunction)

Meanings

  • Or something
  • Any... (with question words)
  • No matter (who)

About this pattern

Explanation

でも is a versatile word used to mean 'but' or 'nevertheless' when linking two clauses, and as a particle after question words to indicate 'any ...' (e.g., 何でも, 誰でも) meaning 'anything' or 'everyone'. In everyday speech, it often comes with いい/大丈夫 to express that any option is acceptable, or to show that the speaker is not restricted to a single choice. It can also appear at the beginning of a sentence to contrast with what was expected, roughly translating to 'but...' in English.