かれ〜かれ
Or, Either or
Structure
遅かれ早かれ - sooner or later
多かれ少なかれ - more or less
to a greater or lesser extent
良かれ悪しかれ - good or bad
for better or worse
Explanation
かれ～かれ is a grammatical structure that joins two opposing い-Adjectives to express that 'the outcome is unaffected, whether it is (A) or (B)'. It is often translated as 'whether...or...' or 'be it...or...'. Historically, this pattern is a shortened form of the adjective's conjunctive stem (く) followed by あれ, which is the imperative form of the verb ある, 'to be'. Since い-Adjectives lack a native imperative form, the construction くあれ (and later かれ) emerged to serve this function. Due to its imperative origin, it carries the literal nuance of a declaration: 'be it (A) or be it (B)'.
かれ～かれ is added to the stem of two antonyms, followed by a clause that describes the consistent result that occurs regardless of the condition presented by the adjectives.
- どんな仕事にも、多かれ少なかれストレスはつきものだ。Every job comes with some degree of stress, whether it's a lot or a little.
- このブランドの服は、安かれ高かれ、品質がとても良い。Whether the clothes from this brand are cheap or expensive, the quality is always very good.
- 努力を続ければ、遅かれ早かれ夢は叶うと信じている。If you keep working hard, I believe your dream will come true sooner or later.
This pattern is only compatible with a select few pairs of adjectives. It is advisable to stick to the established combinations you encounter rather than creating new ones.
Caution
When pairing 良い 'good' with 悪い 'bad', note that 悪い uses an irregular form. It becomes 悪しかれ, which derives from the classical Japanese adjective 悪し 'bad'. This pairing is treated as a fixed expression in contemporary Japanese.
- 親の行動は、良かれ悪しかれ子供に大きな影響を与えます。A parent's actions, for better or worse, have a great influence on their child.
Examples
AIの技術が発展すれば、遅かれ早かれ多くの仕事がなくなるだろう。
If AI technology continues to develop, sooner or later many jobs will disappear.
親の言動はよかれあしかれ、子供に大きな影響を与える。
For better or worse, a parent's words and actions greatly influence their children.
どんな職業であっても、多かれ少なかれストレスは感じるものだ。
No matter the profession, everyone feels stress to a greater or lesser extent.
どんなに隠そうとしても、遅かれ早かれ真実は明らかになるものだ。
No matter how hard you try to hide it, the truth will come to light sooner or later.
多かれ少なかれ、どのカップルにも喧嘩の一つや二つはある。
To a greater or lesser extent, every couple has an argument or two.
インターネットの普及は、よかれあしかれ、私たちのコミュニケーションの形を変えた。
The spread of the internet has, for better or worse, changed the way we communicate.
環境問題をこのまま放置すれば、遅かれ早かれ私たちの生活に影響が出る。
If we keep ignoring environmental problems like this, sooner or later they will affect our lives.
私たちは多かれ少なかれ育った環境から影響を受けている。
We are all influenced by the environment we were raised in, to a greater or lesser extent.
彼の決断力の強さは、よかれあしかれ、チーム全体に影響を及ぼしている。
His strong decisiveness affects the entire team, for better or worse.
あんなに大きな嘘をついたら、遅かれ早かれみんなにバレてしまうよ。
If you tell such a big lie, sooner or later everyone is going to find out.
年齢や性別に関係なく、誰でも多かれ少なかれお金の心配はするものだ。
Regardless of age or gender, everyone worries about money to a greater or lesser extent.
この会社を辞めるという彼の決断は、よかれあしかれ彼の人生の転機となるだろう。
For better or worse, his decision to quit this company will be a turning point in his life.