Translation guide
Expressing 'any person who' or 'the person who' in Japanese, with distinctions between indefinite and specific references.
Referring to an unspecified person or anyone who meets a condition.
Used with a verb or condition to mean 'anyone who' or 'whoever'. It is a general, indefinite expression.
誰でも参加できます。
Whoever wants to can participate.
誰でもいいから手伝って。
Whoever it is, please help.
A more formal or literary way to say 'whoever', often used in written language or formal speech.
誰であれ、規則は守らなければならない。
Whoever it is, they must follow the rules.
A structure meaning 'no matter who' or 'whoever'. The verb after 誰が is in the て-form plus も.
誰が来ても、私は出かけます。
Whoever comes, I'm going out.
誰が何と言っても、私は信じない。
Whoever says what, I won't believe it.
Referring to a specific but unidentified person who did something.
Uses 誰か (someone) with が to indicate that an unknown person performed an action. It implies a specific but unidentified individual.
誰かが窓を割った。
Whoever broke the window.
誰かがこの本を置いたんだ。
Whoever left this book here.
A relative clause with 人 (person) to mean 'the person who'. This is more direct and less indefinite than 誰でも.
これをした人は誰ですか。
Whoever did this, who is it?
Using 'whoever' as a noun clause subject or object, often with emphasis.
Embedded question meaning 'whoever' when used as a subject or object. Often followed by は or を.
誰がやったかは問題ではない。
Whoever did it is not the issue.
誰が来るか知っていますか。
Do you know whoever is coming?
A formal and emphatic way to say 'whoever it may be'. Often used in written or rhetorical contexts.
誰であろうと、真実は明らかにされるべきだ。
Whoever it may be, the truth should be revealed.
誰でも (daredemo) means 'anyone' or 'whoever' in a general sense, while 誰か (dareka) means 'someone' and refers to a specific but unknown person. Use 誰でも for universal statements and 誰か for particular instances.
誰でもできます。
Anyone can do it.
誰かがそれをしました。
Someone did it.
English 'whoever' often translates to different structures in Japanese depending on context. Directly translating 'whoever' as a single word is not possible. Pay attention to whether you mean 'any person who' or 'the unknown person who'.
誰が来ても歓迎します。
Whoever comes is welcome.