ๆๆณ๏ผใใฆใ (Even if ~)
ใ is added to ใฆ-form of verbs, adjectives, and nouns to create the conditional โEven if.โ While ใฆ-form by itself does not indicate past or present tense, it can be in the affirmative or negative, with ใชใ becoming ใชใใฆ.
Verb:ใย ้ฃในใใโใ้ฃในใฆใ
ใใใใ่ชญใใใโใ่ชญใใงใ
ใ-adj:ใ่ตคใใใโใ่ตคใใฆใ
ใช-adj:ใ้ใใใโใ้ใใงใ
Noun:ใ ๅญฆ็ใใโใๅญฆ็ใงใ
Neg:ใใใชใใใโใใใชใใฆ
ใฆใ๏ผใงใ can be used colloquially as ใใฃใฆ๏ผใ ใฃใฆ as well, which should not be confused with the quotational ใฃใฆ.
Grammar forms like ใใใ express a simple if-then, with a result in line with what you would expect of the conditions. However, ใใฆใ is a contrastive conjunction, which means it will express a result opposite to what you would expect. โEven ifโ the conditions stated are met, the expected result still will not happen, or the current condition will not change. (*)
ใใพใใใฆ!!
ใใชใใบใใบใใงใใใพใใใฆ!!
Control yourself!
Even if your tummy is growling, control yourself!
ใฆใ is relatively similar to the grammar ใฎใซ, another contrastive conjunction. However, ใฆใ can be used with both factual and hypothetical situations, while ใฎใซ can only be used with factual ones. Thereโs also no strong emotional emphasis to ใฆใ like there is with ใฎใซ. While it may be difficult to distinguish between the proper uses of both, you can rest assured that Japanese students also frequently mix up the two. (*)
ใใใงใใใใพใฃใฆ!!๏ผใใผใฃ!?๏ผ
ใใใงใใ ใใงใใ!!ใใใจใชใชใฎใซ๏ผ
Even if it was a dream, apologize! (Ehโ?!)
Even if it was in a dream, itโs still wrong!! Even though youโre an adultโฆ(you behave like a kid)!
(ใใใคใฐใจ๏ผใ Yotsuba&!, vol. 9 by Azuma Kiyohoko)
You may often see ใฆใ followed by ใใ or ใใพใใพใใ, usually when used to ask for or grant permission. While ใใฆใใใ describes situations you can do, ใใชใใฆใใใ describes situations that arenโt required. You can, but you donโt have to.
ใใใฆใใใใงใใ๏ผ
ใใใฆใใใใงใใ
ใใใฆใๆงใใพใใใ
- ็ญใฏ่ใใฆใใใใๅฟ้
ใใชใใฆใใใใ
- โฆใฉใใใฆ่จใใชใใฃใใใงใใ?
- I have come up with a plan, so you donโt need to worry yourself.
- โฆbut why didnโt you tell me?
(ใ้ญๆณไฝฟใใฎๅซใย The Ancient Magusโ Bride, vol. 2 by Yamazaki Kore)
Requests to others like ๏ผใใฆ๏ผใใใฃใฆใใใใงใใ๏ผare also often heard, especially among young people, but it can be seen as a little condescending. ใใฆใใใ๏ผ or ใใ้ ใใพใใงใใใใ๏ผ are safer to use.
At times, the ใ can be omitted as well, leaving just ใใฆใใ. ใ merely adds an extra sense of โEven this is okay.โ However, you wonโt see ใ used in phrases likeย ย ใใใฆใฏใใใชใใปใชใใชใใปใใก (You must not ~), because the negative naturally is more likely to take ใฏ.
Note that Nใงใใใ can carry a sense of compromise, and may come across as rude if youโre replying to an offer from someone else. In that case, Nใใใ is more straightforward. (*)
- ใใใใใใใใใฟใใใใงใใใใ
- ใใใพใใ
- Fine fine, itโs okayย even if itโsย miso soup.
- Iโm so sorry!
ย (ใใใคใฐใจ๏ผใ Yotsuba&!, vol. 9 by Azuma Kiyohoko)
[*Yotsuba was hoping forย tonjiru, but will graciously settle for miso instead.]
Several ใใฆใ clauses can be chained to link several different conditions that will still lead to the same conclusion. The same verb can also be repeated (โNo matter how much you ~โ), or stated and immediately negated (โWhether you do ~ or notโ) to strengthen the emphasis that the result will not change.ย
่ฒดๆนใฎ่จใฃใใใจใๅใงใๆฌๅฝใงใใฉใฃใกใงใใใ
ใใฎใฒใจใฏ่ชฐใใใๅ
ใซใ็งใใ่ฒทใฃใใผใ ใใ
ใจใชใขในใ็งใฎๆใ้ขใใพใงใฏ
It doesnโt matter if youโre lying, telling the truth, or whatโฆ
He bought โmeโ before anyone else, soโฆ
Until Elias lets go of my handโฆ
(ใ้ญๆณไฝฟใใฎๅซใย The Ancient Magusโ Bride, vol. 2 by Yamazaki Kore)
Often, but not always, the final, resulting clause will be in the negative. (*)
Question words such as ไฝ, ่ชฐ, and ใฉใ can also be used in ใฆใ clauses to convey โNo matter what/who/where/etc.โ The most commonly seen are ใฉใใชใซใใฆใ and ใใใใใฆใ, which both emphasize the degree to which an action is done. This is essentially the same meaning as repeating the same ใฆใclause twice. In addition, ใใใใใฆใ can be used to emphasize an action being completed many times. (*) ใฉใใ ใ can also be used interchangeably with either one.
ใใใฃใฆ๏ผ
ใใคใงใ้ฃใใฆใใฆใใใ๏ผ๏ผ
He said okay!
You can bring your friends whenever!
ใฉใฉใฉใใฉใใ ใฃใฆใใใ ใใใ
ใใ่กใๆใฏใใใใงใใใโฆ๏ผ
A-a-anywhere is fine!
There are so many places where I can goโฆ!
(ใไธๆป
ใฎใใชใใธใ To Your Eternity, vol. 13, by Oima Yoshitoki)
ๅคๆฎใ่ฒใฎ็ถบ้บใชๆฏใชใฎใซ
ไฟบใฏใๅใฎๆฏใไฝ่ฒใ ใฃใฆๆใใฆใใใฎใซ
Even though your beautiful hair was the color of twilight, even though I would have loved your hair no matter itโs colorโฆ
(ใ้ญๆณไฝฟใใฎๅซใย The Ancient Magusโ Bride, vol. 2 by Yamazaki Kore)
As always, Maggie-sensei has some really excellent lessons with tons of examples of this grammar as well.
ใฉใใชใซ่ฏใใฃใใฃใฆ๏ผไฟกใใใใชใใญย
I can never fully believe / no matter how well itโs going
๏ผปๅฎๅค็ฐใใซใซ โ ๅ
๏ผฝย
