とにかく

と

に

か

く

Common wordJLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 2,000

Meanings

1

adverb

anyway; anyhow; in any case

usually written using kana alone

Used to move a conversation forward, dismiss details, or state that something will be done regardless of circumstances.

とにかく、やってみよう。
Anyway, let's give it a try.
理り由

ゆう

は

ともかく

、

とにかく

謝あやま

っ

た

ほう

が

いい

。

Whatever the reason, you should apologize anyway.

2

adverb

setting aside ...; regardless of ...

usually written using kana alone

Follows a noun or clause with は or なら to mean 'putting that aside' or 'no matter what happens with ...'.

結けっ果かはとにかく、努ど力りょくしたことが大たい切せつだ。
Regardless of the result, the effort you made is what matters.
見みた目めはとにかく、味あじはいい。
Appearance aside, it tastes good.

3

adverb

really; truly; definitely

usually written using kana alonecolloquial

Colloquial emphatic use, often expressing strong personal conviction or surprise. Common in casual speech.

あの映えい画が、とにかく面おも白しろかった！
That movie was really interesting!
彼かれの話はなしはとにかく長ながいんだよ。
His stories are just so long.

Written forms

とにかくUsage98%
Standard modern spelling; the word is almost always written in kana.
兎とに角かくUsage2%
ateji (phonetic kanji usage)rarely-used kanji form
Ateji spelling; rarely used and mainly encountered in older or stylized writing.
左右とにかく
rarely-used kanji form
Rare kanji form; easily confused with the common word 左右 (さゆう).

Kanji

兎rabbit, hare
角angle, corner, square
左left
右

Similar words

ともかく
Almost synonymous with とにかく, but ともかく is slightly more formal and often used in the pattern ～はともかく (setting aside ...).
いずれにせよ
More formal than とにかく; means 'in any case' or 'be that as it may', often used in logical arguments.

Etymology

Derived from the phrase とにもかくにも, a combination of the particles と and に with the adverbs と (thus) and かく (like this). The kanji spellings 兎に角 and 左右 are ateji and not related to the original meaning.

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