Whatever it may be: 〜であれ／〜であれ〜であれ
名詞 + であれ（〜であれ）
Noun / question word + であれ: “whatever, be it A or B”. The classical imperative of である, written and firm; what follows states a rule valid in every case.
In short
〜であれ means “whatever, be it”: 理由が何であれ (whatever the reason), 大人であれ子どもであれ (adult or child). The second half lays down a rule or a judgement that holds in every case. It's the classical imperative of である (“be!”), hence its written, firm tone.
- 理由が何であれ、暴力は許されない。りゆうがなんであれ、ぼうりょくはゆるされない。Whatever the reason, violence is unacceptable.
- 大人であれ子どもであれ、ルールは守らなければならない。おとなであれこどもであれ、るーるはまもらなければならない。Adult or child, everyone must follow the rules.
- どんな仕事であれ、責任を持ってやるべきだ。どんなしごとであれ、せきにんをもってやるべきだ。Whatever the job, you should do it conscientiously.
The basics
である is the written copula (“to be”). Its classical imperative, であれ, means “be it”. After a question word (何, 誰, どんな), it gives “whatever, whoever, whichever”; in a pair (A であれ B であれ), it gives “be it A or B” — English keeps a similar old subjunctive in “be it…”, “come what may”.
The second half states a rule, a principle or a judgement that remains true in every case.
Whatever the reason, violence is unacceptable.
- noun
- grammatical form
- verb
- 形はどうであれ、結果を出すことが大切だ。かたちはどうであれ、けっかをだすことがたいせつだ。Whatever the method, what matters is getting results.
- 相手が社長であれ新人であれ、態度を変えるべきではない。あいてがしゃちょうであれしんじんであれ、たいどをかえるべきではない。Whether you're speaking to the CEO or a newcomer, you shouldn't change your attitude.
How to form it
Noun (or な-adjective) + であれ. Three constructions: a question word on its own, a pair of nouns, or a single noun in the sense “even if it's”.
| Construction | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| question word + であれ | 何であれ、誰であれ | whatever, whoever it may be |
| どんな + noun + であれ | どんな仕事であれ | whatever the job |
| A であれ B であれ | 大人であれ子どもであれ | be it A or B |
| (たとえ) noun + であれ | たとえ冗談であれ | even if it's (a joke) |
- たとえ冗談であれ、そんなことを言ってはいけない。たとえじょうだんであれ、そんなことをいってはいけない。Even as a joke, you don't say things like that.
であれ, にしろ, でも, であろうと
〜にしろ〜にしろ (N2) has the same meaning, with a slightly more spoken tone. 〜でも (何でも, 誰でも) is the everyday form. 〜であろうと (N1) is very close to であれ and just as solemn.
Choose であれ for a general rule stated firmly, in a text, a regulation or a speech.
- 行くにしろ行かないにしろ、早く決めてください。いくにしろいかないにしろ、はやくきめてください。Whether you go or not, make up your mind quickly.
- 相手が誰であろうと、言うべきことは言う。あいてがだれであろうと、いうべきことはいう。Whoever I'm talking to, I say what needs to be said.
Common mistakes
- Reading it as “what is” or “it is”: であれ asserts nothing; it opens up every possibility.
- Putting a verb directly before it: “×行くであれ” is wrong; with a verb, you say 行くにしろ or 行こうと.
- Ending with a one-off fact: the second half must hold in every case (a rule, a principle, a judgement).
7 exercises on this point
Particles to choose, sentences to put back in order, translations: marked straight away, then reviewed at the right time. This JLPT N1 point is on the Akita Line (Literature and poetry) of the Shinkansen.