いくら～でも

The pattern いくら～でも means "no matter how (much) ~" and is used to express that regardless of the degree, amount, or effort involved, the outcome or situation does not change. It emphasizes that even an extreme degree of something fails to affect the result.

How it connects

The word いくら ("how much") appears at the beginning of the clause, and the verb or adjective takes the ても／でも form:

• Verb: いくら + V[て] + も

  いくらたべて食べてもふとらない太らない。

  No matter how much I eat, I don't gain weight.

• い-Adjective: いくら + Adj-い → くても

  いくらたかくて高くてもかいたい買いたい。

  No matter how expensive it is, I want to buy it.

• な-Adjective: いくら + Adj-な + でも

  いくらしずか静かでも、このへや部屋はおちつかない落ち着かない。

  No matter how quiet it is, I can't relax in this room.

• Noun: いくら + Noun + でも

  いくらおかねもちお金持ちでも、しあわせ幸せとはかぎらない限らない。

  No matter how rich someone is, it doesn't mean they're happy.

Nuance

This pattern often conveys a sense of frustration, resignation, or emphasis – the speaker highlights that something remains true despite considerable effort or degree. It is commonly paired with negative outcomes but can also appear with positive statements.

いくらなんでも

A related expression, いくらなんでも, means "no matter what the circumstances" or "even so / that's going too far". It is used when something exceeds what is considered reasonable.