いかなる
Meanings
1
pre-noun adjectival
what kind of; what sort of; what
usually written using kana alone
Pre-noun adjectival (rentaishi) used to ask or describe the nature or type of something. Formal/literary equivalent of どんな.
No matter what the reason, violence is not acceptable.
Nobody knows what kind of person he is.
2
pre-noun adjectival
usually written using kana alone
Used in constructions like いかなる...でも/も to mean 'no matter what kind of...' or 'any...'. Emphatic and formal.
We will advance without giving in to any difficulties.
In any case, this rule must be observed.
Usage patterns
- いかなる〈事〉があろうともno matter what happens
No matter what happens, I will not give up.
- いかなる〈人〉であってもno matter who (someone) is
Everyone is equal before the law, no matter who they are.
- いかなる〈物〉かasking what kind of thing something is
I want you to think carefully about what kind of meaning this holds.