でも
Meaning
Question word + でも: "any-/every-" (anyone, anything, anytime, anywhere); it covers every possibility with no exception.
N + でも: "even N" (an extreme example), or "N or something" (a soft suggestion).
Conjugation
疑問詞 (だれ・何・いつ・どこ・どれ など) + でも: N + でも
Examples
Show translation
だれでも彼の名前を知っています。
この店では何でも買えます。
わからないことがあったら、いつでも電話してください。
このバスは、どこにでも行けますよ。
この漢字は子どもでも読めます。
疲れたね。お茶でも飲みませんか。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.title
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: だれでも来ませんでした。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: だれも来ませんでした。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: To say "nobody came," use a question word + も + negative. だれでも means "anybody/everybody" in affirmative statements, so it cannot replace だれも in this sentence.
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: どこでもに行けます。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: どこにでも行けます。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: The case particle (に, と, で, から) comes before でも, not after it.
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.wrong: だれがでも知っています。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.correct: だれでも知っています。
grammarDetailPage.commonMistakes.why: The particles が and を are dropped before でも; do not write だれがでも or 何をでも.
Key points
With a question word, でも generally means "any-/every-" in affirmative statements: だれでも = "anybody/everybody". Compare 疑問詞 + も + negative = "nobody/nothing" (だれも…ない). Negative sentences with でも are also possible, but their meaning is different (e.g., だれでもできるわけではない = "Not everyone can do it"). Put particles such as に, と, で, から before でも (どこにでも, だれとでも), but drop が and を (だれでも, 何でも).
With a noun, でも gives an extreme example ("even a child can") or a soft suggestion (お茶でも = "tea or something"). For suggestions it is common in invitations like 〜でも飲みませんか. It differs from でも meaning "but" at the start of a sentence.
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