Posted inN3 Grammar

いくら〜ても: No Matter How Much, It Won’t Change!

Posted inN3 Grammar
Japanese Grammar Template
Meaning & Usage

✨ Basic Meaning

This pattern indicates that a certain outcome or state remains unchanged or is impossible, regardless of the degree, amount, or intensity of the preceding action or condition.

🎯 Primary Function

To emphasize the lack of effect or the certainty of a result despite an effort or condition being applied to a great extent.

📋 Grammar Structure

いくら + Verb て-form + も いくら + い-Adjective くて-form + も いくら + な-Adjective で + も いくら + Noun で + も

🎭 Usage Contexts

🏢 Formal Situations

Can be used, but the tone can be slightly assertive or convey resignation, so consider context.

😊 Informal Situations

Very common in casual conversation to express frustration, stubbornness, or certainty.

✍️ Written Language

Appears in various forms, including explanatory texts, dialogue in novels, and essays.

🗣️ Spoken Language

Widely used to express strong feelings about an unchanging situation.

💡 Common Applications

Expressing futility of effort
Highlighting that efforts are useless because the result will be the same anyway.
Example: いくら頑張っても、目標には届きそうにない。 (Ikura ganbatte mo, mokuhyou ni wa todokisou ni nai. – No matter how hard I try, I don’t seem to reach the goal.)
Describing an unchanging characteristic or state
Emphasizing that a quality or state persists regardless of conditions.
Example: この問題は、いくら考えても答えが出ない。 (Kono mondai wa, ikura kangaete mo kotae ga denai. – No matter how much I think about this problem, I can’t find an answer.)
Giving strong advice or warning
Warning someone that a particular action will not yield the desired outcome.
Example: いくら謝っても、彼女の気持ちは変わらないだろう。 (Ikura ayamatte mo, kanojo no kimochi wa kawaranai darou. – No matter how much you apologize, her feelings probably won’t change.)
📊
Frequency
Fairly common in everyday Japanese, especially in spoken language.
🎚️
Difficulty
N3
Example Sentences
いくら急いでも、電車には間に合わないだろう。
No matter how fast we hurry, we probably won’t make it to the train.
彼はいくら食べても太らない体質だ。
He has a body type where he doesn’t gain weight no matter how much he eats.
このパソコンはいくら古くても、まだ十分使える。
No matter how old this computer is, it’s still perfectly usable.
Notes & Nuances

📌 Important Points

Emphasis on Extent/Degree
“いくら” specifically adds the nuance of “no matter how much,” “however much,” or “no matter how often.” Without “いくら,” the -ても form just means “even if.”
Example: 頑張っても無理だ。(Ganbatte mo muri da. – Even if I try, it’s impossible.) vs. いくら頑張っても無理だ。(Ikura ganbatte mo muri da. – No matter how hard I try, it’s impossible.)
Unchanging Result
The second part of the sentence (after -ても) describes a situation or outcome that is certain or unchangeable regardless of the condition in the first part.
Example: いくら頼んでも、彼は手伝ってくれなかった。(Ikura tanonde mo, kare wa tetsudatte kurenakatta. – No matter how much I asked him, he wouldn’t help me. – The result “he wouldn’t help” didn’t change despite the repeated requests.)

⚠️ Common Mistakes

❌ Using いくら without -ても
✅ Always pair いくら with the -ても form when expressing “no matter how much…”
いくら is used to ask “how much” or can function as an adverb meaning “however much.” When used in the “no matter how much” grammar pattern, it *must* be followed by the -ても clause.
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🏛️ Cultural Context

Politeness Level: The politeness level is determined by the ending of the second clause, not by いくら〜ても itself. It can range from casual (だ/です) to formal (です/ます).
Social Situations: Frequently used to express a sense of inevitability, complaint, or strong assertion in various social contexts.
Regional Variations: The structure いくら〜ても is standard across Japan.

🔍 Subtle Differences

いくら〜ても vs. 〜ても
いくら〜ても emphasizes the *extent* or *degree* of the condition, implying a strong effort or high amount. 〜ても simply means “even if” without this emphasis on intensity.
When to use: Use いくら〜ても when you want to stress that despite doing something *a lot* or it being *very much* the case, the result is unchanged. Use 〜ても for a general “even if” condition.
いくら〜ても vs. どんなに〜ても
いくら〜ても often refers to quantity, degree, frequency, or effort. どんなに〜ても is similar but focuses more on “no matter what kind of” or “no matter how (in terms of manner/state).”
When to use: Use いくら〜ても for quantifiable things or intensity of action/state. Use どんなに〜ても for types, conditions, or states that are less about quantity.
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📝 Conjugation Notes

Verbs: て-form + も い-Adjectives: Drop い, add くて + も な-Adjectives: Add で + も Nouns: Add で + も

🔊 Pronunciation Tips

Pronounce いくら clearly, followed by the standard pronunciation of the て-form and も. The focus often falls on the contrast between the first clause (effort/condition) and the second (unchanging result).

🧠 Memory Tips

Think of いくら (how much/many) combined with ても (even if). So, “Even if it is this much/many” or “Even if you do it this much,” the result is the same.

Practice Exercises
この機械は、いくら______も動かない。 (This machine won’t move no matter how much you…)
押して
押しても
押す
押したり
彼はいくら______人でも、たまには失敗する。 (No matter how ~ a person he is, he sometimes makes mistakes.)
真面目な
真面目でも
真面目で
真面目なら
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