いかん～ず

The expression いかん～ず (often seen as のいかんによらず, のいかんにかかわらず, or のいかんを問わず) is a formal/literary expression meaning "regardless of" or "irrespective of." It indicates that the outcome or decision does not change no matter what the preceding noun's content, condition, or result may be.

いかん (如何) means "how" or "in what way" and is a classical/literary word. Combined with negative expressions like よらず, かかわらず, or とわ問わず, it creates the meaning of "regardless of how ~ is" or "no matter what ~ may be."

Common patterns

• Noun + のいかんによらず – regardless of ~

  りゆう理由のいかんによらず、ちこく遅刻はみとめられない認められない。

  Regardless of the reason, tardiness will not be tolerated.

• Noun + のいかんにかかわらず – irrespective of ~

  けっか結果のいかんにかかわらず、ぜんりょくをつくす全力を尽くすべきだ。

  Irrespective of the result, you should give it your all.

• Noun + のいかんを問わず – regardless of ~ / without questioning ~

  こくせき国籍のいかんをとわ問わず、おうぼ応募できます。

  You may apply regardless of nationality.

Usage notes

This grammar pattern is predominantly used in written language, such as legal documents, official announcements, contracts, and formal speeches. It is rarely used in casual conversation. The noun preceding のいかん is typically an abstract concept such as りゆう理由 (reason), けっか結果 (result), ないよう内容 (content), じじょう事情 (circumstances), or せいひ成否 (success or failure).

A related but slightly different form is いかんでは / いかんによっては, which means "depending on ~" and expresses a conditional relationship rather than disregard: