たとえ

also: たとい

た

と

え

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Concessive adverb used with ても, でも, or とも to express 'even if' or 'no matter how'. Often paired with conditional or hypothetical clauses.

たとえ〈事こと〉でもeven if (a certain thing/situation is the case)
たとえ雨あめでも、試し合あいは行おこなわれます。
Even if it rains, the match will be held.
たとえ〈動どう詞し〉てもeven if (someone does something)
たとえ失しっ敗ぱいしても、諦あきらめない。
Even if I fail, I won't give up.
たとえどんなに〈形けい容よう詞し〉てもno matter how (adjective) something may be
たとえどんなに難むずかしくても、最さい後ごまでやる。
No matter how difficult it is, I'll see it through to the end.

もしN4
もし is a neutral word for 'if' used in ordinary conditionals, while たとえ stresses an extreme or hypothetical case and is typically paired with ても/でも.
ところでN4
たとえ is an adverb paired with ても/でも to stress a hypothetical, while ところで attaches directly to a verb's past form to mean the action would be futile.
仮かりにN1
たとえ pairs with ても to mean 'even if' with a concessive nuance, whereas 仮に can stand alone to set up a pure hypothesis.

たとえUsage97%
Kana spelling is standard; the word is usually written in kana.
たといUsage2%
Archaic reading variant; it is a reading for 仮令 and 縦令.
仮令Usage<1%
- たとえ
  Rare kanji spelling; high priority but modern usage is overwhelmingly kana.
- たとい
縦令Usage<1%
- たとえ
  Rare kanji spelling; not commonly used.
- たとい
縦たとえ
Rare kanji spelling; not commonly used.

Derived from classical Japanese たとひ, a concessive particle. The exact origin is uncertain, but it has been used since the Heian period.