Building te mo from every word type
Te mo attaches to the te form, so if you know the te form you already know most of this pattern. Adjectives and nouns follow their usual te form rules.
The main clause after te mo can be past, present or future and polite or plain. It carries the tense and politeness of the sentence.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 雨が降っても、行きます。 | Ame ga futte mo, ikimasu. | I will go even if it rains. |
| 高くても、買いたいです。 | Takakute mo, kaitai desu. | I want to buy it even if it is expensive. |
| 不便でも、この町が好きです。 | Fuben de mo, kono machi ga suki desu. | I like this town even though it is inconvenient. |
| 日曜日でも、仕事があります。 | Nichiyōbi de mo, shigoto ga arimasu. | I have work even on Sundays. |
| 説明を読まなくても、使えます。 | Setsumei o yomanakute mo, tsukaemasu. | You can use it even without reading the instructions. |
| Word type | Form | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | Te form + mo | Even if someone does |
| Negative verb | Nakute mo | Even if someone does not |
| I-adjective | Drop the final i + kute mo | Even if it is expensive |
| Na-adjective | Adjective + de mo | Even if it is quiet |
| Noun | Noun + de mo | Even if it is a child |
Imagined situations and real ones
English separates even if, for something that may happen, from even though, for something that did. Te mo covers both, and the context or the final verb tells the listener which.
When the main clause is past, te mo usually describes something that really happened and did not have the expected result.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 明日、雪が降っても、学校はあります。 | Ashita, yuki ga futte mo, gakkō wa arimasu. | Even if it snows tomorrow, there will be school. |
| 薬を飲んでも、熱が下がりませんでした。 | Kusuri o nonde mo, netsu ga sagarimasen deshita. | Even though I took medicine, my fever did not go down. |
| 何度電話しても、出ませんでした。 | Nando denwa shite mo, demasen deshita. | No matter how many times I called, they did not answer. |
Tatoe and ikura for emphasis
Two adverbs at the start of the clause make the meaning clearer early. Tatoe signals that what follows is a hypothetical, however unlikely: even supposing. Ikura means no matter how much and usually pairs with a verb of effort or an adjective of degree.
They are optional, but in speech they help the listener hear where the sentence is going before the te mo arrives.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| たとえ反対されても、留学します。 | Tatoe hantai sarete mo, ryūgaku shimasu. | Even if people oppose it, I will study abroad. |
| いくら勉強しても、漢字を忘れてしまいます。 | Ikura benkyō shite mo, kanji o wasurete shimaimasu. | No matter how much I study, I forget kanji. |
| いくら高くても、これが欲しいです。 | Ikura takakute mo, kore ga hoshii desu. | However expensive it is, I want this. |
Question words for no matter who, what or where
Put a question word inside the te mo clause and it becomes no matter: no matter what you do, wherever you go, whoever you ask. This pattern is very common in conversation and in describing frustrations.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 何を食べても、おいしいです。 | Nani o tabete mo, oishii desu. | Whatever you eat, it is delicious. |
| どこに行っても、人が多いです。 | Doko ni itte mo, hito ga ōi desu. | Wherever you go, it is crowded. |
| 誰に聞いても、わかりませんでした。 | Dare ni kiite mo, wakarimasen deshita. | No matter who I asked, I could not find out. |
| いつ来ても、この店は混んでいます。 | Itsu kite mo, kono mise wa konde imasu. | Whenever I come, this shop is busy. |
| どうしても行きたいです。 | Dō shite mo ikitai desu. | I really want to go, no matter what. |
Casual tatte and datte
In relaxed speech, te mo often becomes tatte, and de mo becomes datte. You will hear these constantly among friends, in dramas and in manga. They mean exactly the same thing with a more emotional, emphatic tone.
They are worth recognising early. Use them yourself only in casual conversation.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今から行ったって、間に合わないよ。 | Ima kara ittatte, maniawanai yo. | Even if you go now, you will not make it. |
| 高くたって、買うよ。 | Takakutatte, kau yo. | Even if it is expensive, I am buying it. |
| 子供だって、わかるよ。 | Kodomo datte, wakaru yo. | Even a child would understand. |
Te mo, noni and kedo
All three appear where English uses but, even though or although, and learners swap them freely. They carry different information.
Kedo simply joins two contrasting facts. Te mo says the second happens regardless of the first, and it works for hypotheticals. Noni works only for real facts and adds surprise, disappointment or complaint that things did not go as expected.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 雨が降っていますけど、出かけます。 | Ame ga futte imasu kedo, dekakemasu. | It is raining, but I am going out. |
| 雨が降っても、出かけます。 | Ame ga futte mo, dekakemasu. | I will go out even if it rains. |
| 雨が降っているのに、出かけるんですか。 | Ame ga futte iru noni, dekakeru n desu ka. | You are going out even though it is raining? |
| Pattern | Real or imagined | Feeling |
|---|---|---|
| Kedo | Real | Neutral contrast |
| Te mo | Both | Regardless of the first clause |
| Noni | Real only | Surprise, frustration or complaint |
Do not confuse it with te mo ii
Te mo ii desu and te mo ii desu ka are the standard ways to give and ask for permission: it is okay to, may I. They start with the same te mo, but the ii at the end changes the whole meaning. Nakute mo ii means you do not have to.
When you hear te mo, listen for what comes next. If it is ii, daijōbu or kamaimasen, it is permission. If it is a full clause, it is even if.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ここに座ってもいいですか。 | Koko ni suwatte mo ii desu ka. | May I sit here? |
| ここに座っても、見えません。 | Koko ni suwatte mo, miemasen. | Even if you sit here, you cannot see. |
| 明日は来なくてもいいです。 | Ashita wa konakute mo ii desu. | You do not have to come tomorrow. |
The first two lines share their first half. What follows te mo decides whether the sentence asks permission or states a limitation.