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いかに (ikani) Japanese meaning: how | Kotomora

いかに

い

か

に

Common word›JLPTN2›Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

1

how; in what way

usually written using kana alone

Asks about manner or method; somewhat formal and often used in writing or careful speech.

この問もん題だいをいかに

解かい

決けつ

す

べき

か

、

考かんが

え

て

いる

。

I am thinking about how we should solve this problem.

2

how (much); to what extent

usually written using kana alone

Used with adjectives or verbs to ask about degree; often in rhetorical or emphatic expressions.

彼かれの言こと葉ばがいかに心こころに響ひびいたか、言こと葉ばにできない。
I can't put into words how deeply his words touched me.

3

however (much); no matter how

usually written using kana alone

Used in the pattern いかに...も or いかに...でも to mean 'no matter how much'; formal and often literary.

いかに努ど力りょくしても、結けっ果かが出でないこともある。
No matter how hard you try, sometimes you don't get results.

4

hey; oi

archaic

Archaic interjection used to call attention; not used in modern Japanese.

古ふるい物もの語がたりでは、「いかに」と呼よびかける場ば面めんがある。
In old tales, there are scenes where someone calls out 'hey!' using いかに.

Usage patterns

いかに〈動どう詞し〉かhow (one) does something; in what way something is done
彼かれはいかに生いきるかを常つねに考かんがえていた。
He constantly thought about how he should live his life.
いかに〈形けい容よう詞し〉かを示しめすto show how (adjective) something is; to illustrate the degree of something
この事じ件けんはいかに危き険けんかを示しめしている。
This incident shows just how dangerous it is.
いかに〜てもno matter how much ~
いかに努ど力りょくしても、結けっ果かは変かわらなかった。
No matter how hard I tried, the result didn't change.

Expressions

いかにしてhow; in what way

Kanji

如likeness, like, such as
何what

Related words

どう sense 1
どう is the common, everyday word for asking 'how' or 'in what way', while いかに is more formal and typically appears in writing or rhetorical speech.
どんなにN3sense 2
どんなに is the neutral, everyday word for 'how much/to what extent' and for 'no matter how much', while いかに is its more formal, literary counterpart.
いかがN5sense 1
いかが is the polite, conversational way to ask 'how' (e.g. offering something), whereas いかに is literary and used for formal or rhetorical questions of manner.
如何いかん
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'.

Word family

いかにもN2
indeed; really; truly; just like · very; extremely; totally; terribly · absolutely; certainly; for sure

Written forms

いかにUsage97%
Usually written in kana; the kanji spelling 如何に is rare and literary.
如何いかにUsage3%
Kanji spelling; mostly found in formal or older writing.

Etymology

Derived from the classical Japanese adverb いかに, which itself comes from the interrogative いか (how) + に (adverbial particle). The kanji 如何 are ateji applied later.