This pattern makes 〜ても stronger: however large the amount or degree of A is, the result B stays the same. B is often a negative or unexpected result (いくら食べても、太りません), but it can also show strong will (どんなに忙しくても、勉強します). いくら is common with amounts, numbers of times, and effort, and どんなに with degree; in many sentences either one can be used.
§1Structure
いくら / どんなに + verb て-form + も (いくら食べても). いくら / どんなに + い-adjective 〜くても (どんなに忙しくても). いくら / どんなに + な-adjective / noun + でも (どんなに大変でも, どんなにいい薬でも).
§2Examples
いくら食べても、太りません。
いくらたべても、ふとりません。
No matter how much I eat, I don't gain weight.
どんなに忙しくても、毎日日本語を勉強します。
どんなにいそがしくても、まいにちにほんごをべんきょうします。
No matter how busy I am, I study Japanese every day.
いくら呼んでも、返事がなかった。
いくらよんでも、へんじがなかった。
No matter how many times I called, there was no answer.
どんなに大変でも、この仕事を続けたい。
どんなにたいへんでも、このしごとをつづけたい。
However hard it is, I want to continue this job.
いくら安くても、使わない物は買いません。
いくらやすくても、つかわないものはかいません。
However cheap it is, I don't buy things I won't use.
いくら考えても、答えが分かりませんでした。
いくらかんがえても、こたえがわかりませんでした。
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn't find the answer.
どんなに寒くても、毎朝走るんですか。
どんなにさむくても、まいあさはしるんですか。
Do you run every morning, no matter how cold it is?
どんなにいい薬でも、飲みすぎてはいけません。
どんなにいいくすりでも、のみすぎてはいけません。
However good a medicine is, you must not take too much of it.
§3Common mistakes
- Ending the clause with たら, ば, or のに instead of ても. After いくら / どんなに in this meaning, the clause ends in ても (でも). Wrong: いくら食べたら、太りません / どんなに練習したのに、上手になりません. Right: いくら食べても、太りません / どんなに練習しても、上手になりません.
- Making the wrong ても form for adjectives. Wrong: いくら高いても / どんなに大変ても. Right: いくら高くても / どんなに大変でも.
- Reading いくら as the price question 'how much?'. In いくら〜ても, いくら does not ask anything; it means 'no matter how much'. いくらですか asks a price, but いくら安くても、買いません means 'However cheap it is, I won't buy it'.
§4How it's different from similar grammar
- 〜ても (even if — one condition)
- Plain 〜ても takes one condition and says the result does not change: 薬を飲んでも、治りません (Even if I take medicine, I don't get better). With いくら / どんなに, the speaker says that any amount or degree of that condition makes no difference: いくら薬を飲んでも、治りません (No matter how much medicine I take, I don't get better). The second sentence is stronger and sounds like the speaker has tried many times.
- Question word + 〜ても (no matter what / who / where)
- いくら / どんなに are about how much or to what degree. Other question words are about which thing, person, place, or time: 何を食べても、おいしいです (Whatever I eat, it tastes good) / どこへ行っても、人が多いです (Wherever I go, it's crowded). The grammar after the question word is the same (〜ても), so the form is easy; the point is to choose the question word that fits the meaning.
§5How this shows up on the JLPT
In grammar-form questions, いくら or どんなに at the start is a strong hint: the blank at the end of the clause is ても / でも, not たら, ば, or のに. The opposite question is also common: the clause ends in ても and you choose the adverb, where とても, あまり, and ぜんぜん are wrong and いくら / どんなに is right. In sentence-ordering questions, put いくら / どんなに at the head of the clause and 〜ても at its end. In reading passages, the part after いくら〜ても is what the writer really wants to say, and it is often negative.
§6Quick check (3 questions)
1. Choose the word that fits the blank: ＿＿練習しても、なかなか上手になりません。
＿＿れんしゅうしても、なかなかじょうずになりません。
2. Which sentence is correct?
3. What does this sentence mean? 「どんなに高くても、あのコンサートのチケットを買います。」
どんなにたかくても、あのコンサートのチケットをかいます。