だって

だって is a colloquial expression with several distinct uses depending on its position in a sentence. It appears frequently in casual conversation.

Sentence-initial: "Because" / "But" (giving reasons or objecting)

When placed at the beginning of a sentence, だって is used to give a reason, make an excuse, or protest. It often carries an emotional, defensive, or slightly childish tone – like saying "but…!" or "because…!" in English.

This usage is common when responding to criticism or justifying oneself. It is informal and more common by women and children, though men use it too.

After nouns/question words: "Even" / "Too"

When attached after a noun or question word, だって means "even" or "too", similar to でも or だとしても.

Common combinations include だれだって誰だって (anyone/everyone), なん何だって (anything/everything), いつだって (anytime/always), and どこだって (anywhere).

Sentence-final: "I heard that" (hearsay)

When placed at the end of a sentence, だって conveys hearsay – reporting something you heard from someone else. This is a casual contraction of ～だと（言っていた）.

This usage is very common in everyday conversation and is equivalent to the more formal 〜～そうです (hearsay) or 〜～らしい.