たとえ

also: たとい

た

と

え

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

adverb

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.

たとえ失しっ敗ぱいしても、挑ちょう戦せんする価か値ちはある。

Even if you fail, it's worth trying.

たとえ誰だれが反はん対たいしても、私わたしは自じ分ぶんの意い見けんを曲まげない。

No matter who opposes, I won't change my opinion.

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.

もし
もし is a simple 'if', while たとえ emphasizes a hypothetical or extreme condition, often with ても.
たとい
Archaic variant of たとえ; same meaning but rarely used in modern Japanese.

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