如何いかん

い

か

ん

Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

Formal noun used after another noun (+ の) to mean 'depending on ...' or 'the nature of ...'. Often appears in set phrases like いかんによって or いかんにかかわらず.

結けっ果かは努ど力りょくいかんだ。
The result depends on your effort.
天てん候こうのいかんによっては、試し合あいが中ちゅう止しになることもある。
Depending on the weather, the match may be cancelled.

adverb

what is ...?; how is ...?; what will become of ...?

Formal sentence-ending adverb used to ask about the state or outcome of something, often with a nuance of concern or uncertainty. Common in written or rhetorical questions.

この計けい画かくの行方ゆくえはいかん。
What will become of this plan?
彼かれの真しん意いやいかん。
What are his true intentions?

See all 31 example sentences ›

Usage patterns

〈事こと〉やいかんwhat will become of ~?; how will ~ turn out? (rhetorical, formal)
日本にほんの将しょう来らいやいかん。
What will become of Japan's future?

Expressions· 7

如何いかんでdepending on; based on
如何いかんとも(not) in any way; in no way
如何いかんによってdepending on ...
如何いかんによらずregardless of; irrespective of
如何いかんを問とわずregardless of; irrespective of

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如何いかんに関かかわらずregardless of; irrespective of
いかんともしがたいnothing can be done; cannot be helped

Grammar

いかんdepends on; regardless ofN1

Kanji

如likeness, like, such as
何what
奈Nara, what?

Related words

どう sense 2
どう is the everyday casual word for 'how' or 'what', while 如何 is a much more formal, often literary term used mainly in set phrases.
いかにN2sense 2
いかに is a formal adverb meaning 'how' or 'in what way', while 如何 is typically used as a noun forming set phrases like 如何によって meaning 'depending on'.
次し第だいN3sense 1
次第 is the everyday word for 'depending on', as in 天気次第で, while 如何 is a more formal, bureaucratic alternative seen in set expressions like 如何によって.

Don't confuse with

遺い憾かんN1
遺憾 (いかん) means 'regret' and is pronounced identically to 如何 (いかん), but the two words are written differently and have unrelated meanings.

Word family

いかんせん
unfortunately; regrettably; to one's regret · what can be done about ...; ... cannot be helped

Written forms

Applies to each form listed below

gikun (meaning-based reading) or jukujikun

如何いかんUsage30%
Standard kanji spelling for formal written contexts.
いかんUsage68%
Kana spelling is common in less formal writing and when the kanji is considered difficult.
奈何いかんUsage1%
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form; learners should prefer 如何.

Etymology

Derived from classical Japanese. The kanji 如何 is a jukujikun (special reading) for いかん, not reflecting the individual character meanings. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.