LEARN + JAPANESE / Note 67 JLPT N5

Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere (でも)

Attach でも to a question word, 誰, どこ, いつ, 何, and it stops being a question. 誰でも means “anyone,” どこでも means “anywhere,” 何でも means “anything,” the answer becomes every possible answer at once.

In Real Life
This is the same でも that means “but” elsewhere, doing a completely different job here. Context tells them apart instantly: でも alone at the start of a sentence means “but,” でも glued onto a question word means “any-.” The two never get confused in practice despite looking identical.
In Real Life
でも also attaches directly to an ordinary noun to mean “even,” not just to question words. 子供でも (even a child) makes a claim stronger by naming the least likely case, if even a child can do it, anyone can. Other particles slot in before でも without any trouble: 誰とでも is “with anyone,” とdoing its usual job right underneath.

Vocabulary

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