いくら〜ても details
write + (and…) + no matter how much — no degree of the act or state changes the outcome
ikura kaite mo
no matter how much — no degree of the act or state changes the outcome
meaning: no matter how much you write
いくら練習しても、基本ができていなければ上達しません。
ikura renshuushite mo, kihon ga dekite inakereba joutatsu shimasen.
You won't improve unless you have the basics down, no matter how much you practice. neutral
いくら呼んでも、返事がないんだよね。
ikura yonde mo, henji ga nai n da yo ne.
However much I call out, there's just no answer. casual
- て-form
- i-adjective stem
- na-adjective
- noun
- alternant
Examples
no matter how much — the degree is pushed as far as it goes and the outcome still refuses to follow
いくら練習しても、基本ができていなければ上達しません。
ikurarenshuushitemo, kihon ga dekite inakereba joutatsu shimasen.
You won't improve unless you have the basics down, no matter how much you practice. neutral
いくら呼んでも、返事がないんだよね。
ikura yonde mo, henji ga nai n da yo ne.
However much I call out, there's just no answer. casual
どんなに忙しくても、朝ごはんだけは抜かない。
donna ni isogashikute mo, asagohan dake wa nukanai.
No matter how busy I am, breakfast is the one thing I don't skip. neutral
いくらお願いしても、日程は変えていただけませんでした。
ikura onegai shite mo, nittei wa kaete itadakemasen deshita.
However much I asked, they would not change the schedule. formal
いくら社長でも、一人で決めていいことではない。
ikura shachou de mo, hitori de kimete ii koto de wa nai.
Even if he is the president, this is not something to decide alone. neutral
Formation
いくら{V-te}もattaches to て-formいくら{I-stem}くてもattaches to i-adjective stemいくら{NA-stem}でもattaches to na-adjectiveいくら{N}でもattaches to noun
Variant notes
- どんなに — the same quantifier with more feeling behind it, and the one exclamations reach for (どんなに嬉しかったことか); いくら is the plainer everyday word and the only one that doubles as the price question.
Related patterns
Similar
〜たところで has already written the attempt off and needs a negative or futile main clause; いくら〜ても passes no verdict, so an affirmative continuation is fine (いくら時間がかかっても最後までやる — ×いくら時間がかかったところでやる).
たとえ concedes WHETHER the case obtains, いくら how much of it — which is why a one-off takes たとえ (たとえ一度でも) and refuses いくら.
ても leaves the degree open, so 押しても covers one push or a hundred; いくら〜ても spends a word insisting the degree was pushed to its limit, which is why a single-shot event keeps to bare ても.
Combines with
ても concedes a single supposition; いくら quantifies it, so the clause needs a predicate that admits degrees — いくら押しても works where a one-off count does not (×いくら一度でも).