ても【～ても / でも】

The particle ても (or でも) is used to express "even if" or "even though", indicating that the result in the main clause holds true regardless of the condition stated. It conveys that a certain action, state, or circumstance does not change the outcome.

Formation

The formation differs depending on the word type:

• Verbs: Attach も to the て-form. たべる食べる → 食べても, いく行く → 行っても, する → しても

• い-adjectives: Replace い with くても. たかい高い → 高くても, むずかしい難しい → 難しくても

• な-adjectives: Add でも. しずか静か → 静かでも, げんき元気 → 元気でも

• Nouns: Add でも. あめ雨 → 雨でも, こども子供 → 子供でも

"Even if" – hypothetical situations

ても is used to describe a hypothetical condition that would not affect the outcome. The speaker is saying "even if X happens, Y still holds."

"Even though" – actual situations

ても can also describe something that actually happened or is true, yet the expected result did not follow. In this case it translates as "even though" or "although."

Interrogative + ても – "no matter (what/who/when/where/how)"

When combined with question words like なん何, だれ誰, どこ, いつ, or いくら, ても expresses the meaning of "no matter …".

Comparison with のに

Both ても and のに can translate to "even though," but のに is used only for actual situations and carries a stronger sense of disappointment or surprise. ても is more neutral and can be used for both hypothetical and actual situations.