"Whether or not", "no matter", "regardless of" and "never mind"
ても is the everyday way to say that something makes no difference: 来ても来なくても, "whether he comes or not". "Regardless of age" and "never mind the price" have forms of their own. The stiff forms belong to notices, rules and firm statements, and each has an everyday form that says the same.
| Form | What it says | Where |
|---|---|---|
| ても～なくても | "Whether or not": do it or don't | Everyday |
| どんなに～ても・いくら～ても | "No matter how" cold, or how much | Everyday |
| にしても～にしても | "Whether A or B": take either case | Conversation and writing |
| に関係なく | "Regardless of" age, weather, experience | Conversation, everyday writing |
| を問わず | Also "regardless of" | Job adverts, rules |
| にかかわらず | Also "regardless of"; after a verb, "whether or not" | Notices, announcements |
| いかんを問わず | "Whatever the reason": the rule stands | Contracts, terms of use |
| はともかく | "Never mind", "leaving aside": something else matters more | Conversation, reviews, meetings |
| はさておき | "That can wait": the talk moves on | Meetings, talks, essays |
| は別として | "Apart from": that one is a different case | Conversation and writing |
| （よ）うと・（よ）うが | ても said firmly, often with defiance | Novels, editorials, speeches |
| であれ・であろうと | Firm "whatever it is", after a noun | Rules, editorials, speeches |
ても～なくても: whether or not
Full pageても～なくてもN3
ても～なくても names both cases, doing it and not doing it, and says what holds either way.
Whether he comes or not, we will start the meeting at nine.
When a word has a ready opposite, the second half is usually that opposite.
Win or lose, let's give it everything to the end.
どんなに～ても・いくら～ても: no matter how
Full pageどんなに～ても・
A question word in front makes ても cover every case. どんなに and いくら make it "no matter how" or "how much", and usually either will do. 何, いつ and だれ work the same way: whatever, whenever, whoever.
No matter how much we hurry, we won't make the last train.
No matter how cold it is, this dog wants to play outside.
Whenever I call, my brother doesn't pick up.
にしても～にしても: whether A or B
Full pageにしても～にしても・
にしても～にしても takes two cases, opposites or simply two alternatives, and says what holds in both: mostly an opinion, advice or a request. It often says what to do before the choice is made, where ても～なくても says what is the same either way. にしろ～にしろ sounds firmer, and にせよ～にせよ is mostly written.
Whether you buy or rent, you should compare the costs first.
To sum the two cases up, people say どっちにしても, "either way".
Either way, it won't be finished today.
Where it goes wrong
English "whether or not" does two jobs, and Japanese has a form for each.
I don't know yet whether it will rain or not.
You don't know which: かどうか.
Whether it rains or not, the match will go ahead as scheduled.
It makes no difference which: ても～なくても.
か・かどうかN4
The "whether" of asking, checking and deciding: a question inside a sentence.
Let's ask a staff member whether this seat is available.
に関係なく, を問わず, にかかわらず: regardless of
Full pageを問わずN2にかかわらず・
に関係なく, を問わず and にかかわらず all follow a noun that covers every case: a range like 年齢 (age), or a pair of opposites like 昼夜 (day and night). They mean the same, and differ in where they are said.
It says anyone can take this course, whatever their age.
You, telling a friend about a leaflet.
This course is open to everyone, regardless of age.
The leaflet.
This course is open to everyone, regardless of age.
The leaflet could say this too.
In a chat, を問わず and にかかわらず can sound like a notice read aloud.
In job adverts を問わず shrinks to 不問: 年齢不問, any age.
After a verb, にかかわらず is the usual choice, with the verb and its negative or with かどうか: the "whether or not" of notices. In conversation that is ても～なくても.
Whether you are taking part or not, please reply by Friday.
In contracts: いかんを問わず
Full pageいかんN1
理由のいかんを問わず, "whatever the reason", is the same を問わず with いかん in front: a stiff word for "what it is", to read and not to say. いかんにかかわらず and いかんによらず say the same. With では after it, いかん is "depending on".
Absence without notice is not permitted, whatever the reason.
Regardless of, or despite?
English says "regardless of the rain". The rain is one fact, and を問わず and にかかわらず can't follow one fact: the noun has to take in every case, so rain becomes weather.
Not said: 雨を
(The match went ahead regardless of the rain.)
Rain or shine is 天候を問わず. The rain that fell takes にもかかわらず, "despite".
にもかかわらずN2
With も it is "despite", after one fact that didn't stop what happened.
Despite the rain, a large crowd gathered.
もかまわずN2
About a person, not a rule: someone goes ahead, not caring who is watching or how late it is.
Not caring who was watching, the two of them hugged on the station platform.
をよそにN1
Written: other people worry or protest, and someone carries on as if it were no concern of theirs.
Paying no heed to his parents' worry, the son headed off into the dangerous winter mountains.
はともかく: leaving that aside
Full pageはともかく（として）N2
はともかく leaves one point aside to say what matters more. Often it is a weak point you are letting pass: 味はともかく hints that the food is nothing special.
Leaving the price aside, this shop is conveniently close to the station.
はさておき: that can wait
Full pageはさておき・
はさておき puts a topic aside for now and turns to another, usually the real business. The person leading the talk says it: a chairperson, a presenter, a writer.
冗談はさておきjoking aside
Joking aside, let's go over the content of tomorrow's presentation.
Everyone says this one.
それはさておきthat aside; anyway
Anyway, let's settle next week's schedule.
は別として: apart from
Full pageは別としてN2
は別として makes the one you name a different case, and what you say next is about the rest. With a person はともかく fits too, and leaves the person out for a different reason.
Apart from him, the others will probably agree.
He is a different case, usually the exception: he won't.
I can't speak for him, but the others will probably agree.
He is left aside: you won't say either way. The others are the point.
After かどうか: whether or not
After かどうか there is little to choose between はともかく, はさておき and は別として: all leave open a question you still can't answer. English says "whether or not" for this too.
Whether you go or not, you should reply to the invitation today.
（よ）うと・（よ）うが and であれ: ても said firmly
Full page（よ）うと・
（よ）うと and （よ）うが mean the same, often with some defiance. The verb looks like 行こう, "let's go", but here it is neither "let's" nor "I will". For "whether or not", the second verb takes まい, a written negative. After a noun, the firm form is であれ or であろうと.
no matter what
No matter what anyone says, I will not change my testimony.
whether or not
Whether he comes or not, we will start the meeting at ten.
after a noun
Whatever the reason, falsifying records cannot be allowed.
They belong to writing and speeches. In conversation people say ても, or でも after a noun, unless they are refusing to budge.
Pages in this comparison
- ても～なくてもwhether or not · N3
- どんなに～ても・
いくら～てもno matter how (much) · N3 - ても・
でもeven if; even though · N4 - にしても～にしても・
にしろ～にしろ・ にせよ～にせよwhether A or B · N2 - を問わずregardless of · N2
- にかかわらず・
にかかわりなく・ によらずregardless of; whether or not · N2 - はともかく（として）leaving aside; never mind · N2
- はさておき・
はさておいてsetting aside for now · N2 - は別としてapart from; leaving aside · N2
- （よ）うと・
（よ）うがno matter what; whether or not · N1 - であれ・
であろうとwhatever it is; whether A or B · N1 - いかんdepends on; regardless of · N1