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LEARN + JAPANESE / 31 of 186 JLPT N5

Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere でも

Your friend says they’ll eat anything and go anywhere. Attach でも to question words such as 誰 or どこ and the question opens to every possible answer: 誰でも, “anyone”; どこでも, “anywhere.”

Hint · 힌트
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.
Hint · 힌트
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.

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