いくら～でも
No matter how (much)
Structure
いくら + ［い］Adjective［ても］
いくら + Noun + でも
いくら + ［な］Adjective + でも
Explanation
Much like どんなに～ても, the expression いくら～でも translates to 'no matter how (A), (B)'. While どんな is a shortened form of どのような, いくら is a noun derived from the kanji 幾ら, which means 'how much'. When paired with ても for verbs and い-Adjectives, or でも for nouns and な-Adjectives, its core meaning becomes 'however much (A), (B)'.
In sentences using いくら～でも, the second clause (B) typically describes a situation that does not change or an outcome that is negative, which strengthens the overall 'no matter how much' nuance.
- いくら練習しても、うまくならない。No matter how much I practice, I just don't get any better.
- いくら安くても、必要ない物は買わないよ。No matter how cheap it is, I'm not going to buy something I don't need.
- いくら便利でも、毎日ファストフードは体によくないよ。No matter how convenient it is, eating fast food every day isn't good for you.
- いくら子供でも、やっていいこととわるいことの区別はつく。Even for a child, they can tell the difference between right and wrong.
While commonly found in sentences ending with ない or ありません, いくら～でも can also appear in affirmative statements. In these situations, the second clause (B) will describe something that is still surprising or notable because of its large quantity or extent.
- 時間ならいくらでもあるから、ゆっくりしてね。We have all the time in the world, so please, take it easy.
- 代わりはいくらでもあるから、たくさん食べてくださいね。We have plenty of refills, so please eat as much as you like!
Fun Fact
幾ら tends to put more stress on the 'quantity' or 'amount' of something, whereas どんなに focuses more on the 'degree' or 'state'. Because of this, いくら is often a better fit when highlighting a large volume, while どんなに is more natural for discussing the extent or condition of something.
- いくら食べても太らない。I don't gain weight no matter how much I eat. (Focus on quantity)
- どんなに食べても太らない。I don't gain weight no matter what I eat. (Could refer to quantity or type of food)
In practice, this difference is subtle, and in many everyday situations, いくら and どんなに can be used interchangeably.
Examples
いくら謝っても、彼女は許してくれないだろう。
No matter how much I apologize, she probably won't forgive me.
いくら電話をかけても、誰も出ない。
No matter how many times I call, no one answers.
いくら安くても、必要のないものは買いたくない。
No matter how cheap it is, I don't want to buy things I don't need.
いくら体が丈夫でも、無理をしすぎると病気になるよ。
No matter how healthy you are, you'll get sick if you push yourself too hard.
いくらプロでも、失敗することはある。
No matter how much of a pro you are, you still make mistakes.
いくら考えても、いいアイデアが浮かばない。
No matter how much I think about it, I can't come up with any good ideas.
いくらおいしくても、食べ過ぎは体に良くない。
No matter how delicious it is, eating too much is not good for you.
いくら便利でも、スマホに頼りすぎるのは問題だ。
No matter how convenient they are, relying too much on smartphones is a problem.
いくら先生でも、間違えることはあります。
Even if you're a teacher, you can still make mistakes.
いくら待ってもバスが来ないので、歩いて帰ることにした。
The bus wouldn't come no matter how long I waited, so I decided to walk home.
いくら強くても、一人で全部の問題を解決することはできない。
No matter how strong you are, you can't solve every problem by yourself.
この本は、いくら読んでも内容が全く理解できない。
I can't understand the content of this book at all, no matter how many times I read it.