どっちみち

also: どちみち

ど

っ

ち

み

ち

Freq.FrequencyTop 50,000

Meanings

1

anyway; either way; in any case

usually written using kana alone

Used when the outcome or situation is the same regardless of the choice or circumstances. Casual and common in spoken Japanese.

どっちみち、明日あしたは雨あめだから、出でかけるのはやめよう。
Either way, it's going to rain tomorrow, so let's not go out.
どっちみち、彼かれは来こないと思おもう。
Anyway, I don't think he'll come.

See all 5 example sentences ›

Kanji

道road-way, street, district
何what
方direction, person, alternative

Related words

どうせ
どうせ also means 'anyway' or 'after all', but often carries a nuance of resignation or inevitability. どっちみち is more neutral and focuses on the sameness of outcome regardless of choice.
いずれにせよ
いずれにせよ is a more formal expression meaning 'in any case' or 'be that as it may'. どっちみち is casual and conversational.

Written forms

どっちみちUsage98%
Standard kana spelling; the word is usually written in kana.
どっち道みちUsage1%
Kanji spelling using 道 for みち; less common but seen in informal writing.
どちみちUsage1%
何方道
- どっちみち
  Ateji kanji spelling; rarely used and may be read as どちみち.
- どちみち
  Alternate reading for the ateji spelling; very rare.

Etymology

Formed from どっち, “which way,” and みち, “way”; it became a fixed adverb meaning “whichever way matters turn out” or “in any case.”