Offering an example with 〜でも Grammar: Choice and Selection » 〜でも
〜でも offers one example option while leaving the choice open: “A or something” or “how about A?”
Usage Notes でも attaches to a noun or noun phrase when making a suggestion. When used on an object, it replaced を. Other particles, such as に, appear before でも.
This pattern can sound dismissive with a person’s name. 「山田(やまだ) さんでも呼(よ) ぼう」 can sound like “let’s call Yamada or whoever”. The relationship and the situation decide whether it comes off as casual or belittling.
Formation View formation details Object noun ＋ でも ＋ verb 茶(ちゃ) でも 飲(の) もう"Let's have some tea or something ." Destination ＋ にでも ＋ motion verb 京都(きょうと) にでも 行(い) きましょう"Let's go to Kyoto or somewhere like that ." Time phrase ＋ にでも 暇(ひま) な時(とき) にでも 読(よ) んで"Read it sometime when you have time ." Invitations and Suggestions The speaker provides one option while allowing for others.
The listener can accept the idea or choose a different option.
Destinations with にでも A destination marker can stay before でも. にでも means “to A or somewhere like that”. Since に can be implied from context, it may be dropped.Kanji Explanation: Seeing and insight with 眼 (Future entry)
怪盗セイント・テール » Volume 4 » Page 6Before class, Asuka Jr. mentions a Graham Comet, which passes near the Earth once every fifty years.
涼子(りょうこ) :「ステキ！！ それが こんどのクリスマス・イヴにくるの？」“Awesome!! Is it coming this Christmas Eve?” アスカ Jr.: 「どーせ肉眼(にくがん) じゃ見(み) えねーよ。天文台(てんもんだい) にでも いかないとな」“You won't be able to see it with the naked eye anyway. You'd have to go to an observatory or something.” Challenge Yourself Show translation
Challenge
What does Asuka Jr. say they would need to do to see the comet? Clues 肉眼(にくがん) じゃ見(み) えねーthe comet cannot be seen with the unaided eye 天文台(てんもんだい) にでもいかないとなthey would have to go somewhere such as an observatory What does the speaker mean? Go to an observatory or somewhere with viewing equipment. 肉眼じゃ見えねー rules out unaided viewing, and 天文台にでもいかないとな gives the necessary alternative. Wait until the comet becomes visible to the naked eye. Asuka Jr. says it cannot be seen with the naked eye. He does not suggest that waiting will change that. Travel to the place where the comet will reach Earth. The comet passes near Earth, but his practical suggestion is to visit an observatory. Watch it from the school before class. The conversation happens before class, but he says specialized viewing at an observatory is needed. Look for it on a different night after Christmas Eve. He discusses where and how to view it, not changing the date. Ask someone at the observatory to describe it afterward. いかないとな means they would need to go there themselves, not merely hear a description later.
Asuka Jr. says the comet is not visible to the naked eye. His casual 天文台にでもいかないとな means that they would have to go to an observatory or a similar place with the equipment needed to see it.
View Full Example
Asuka Jr. suggests an observatory as one likely place, but leaves it open that there can be other places.Grammar Explanation: Offering an example with 〜でも (Future entry)
ぼくの魔なむすめ » Volume 1 » Page 127Sami’s father looks over her shoulder as she draws. Sami explains it’s a picture of them playing at a park.
パパ: 「じゃあ… 明日(あした) 公園(こうえん) でも 行(い) く？ (休(やす) みだし)」“Well then... Shall we go to the park or somewhere tomorrow? (Since it's a day off.)” Challenge Yourself Show translation
Challenge
What does Sami's father suggest doing tomorrow? Clues 公園(こうえん) でも行(い) く？suggests going to the park or somewhere similar 休(やす) みだしgives the day off as a reason for going out What does the speaker mean? Go to the park or somewhere similar. 公園(こうえん) is the example destination, while でも keeps the suggestion open to another similar outing. Stay home and draw another picture of the park. The verb 行(い) く proposes going out. The drawing inspires the suggestion but is not the planned activity. Go to school even though it is a day off. 休(やす) みだし supports a leisure outing, and the destination suggested is the park, not school. Visit only that specific park and nowhere else. でも makes the park one easy example rather than a fixed, exclusive destination. Let Sami go to the park by herself. The casual question proposes a shared outing. It does not tell Sami to go alone. Wait until the following day to choose an activity. 明日(あした) sets tomorrow as the time for the outing, not the time to begin discussing it.
Sami’s father suggests going to the park, or somewhere along those lines, the next day. でも makes the park a representative option, and 休(やす) みだし adds that the day off makes an outing convenient.
View Full Example
Light Requests A speaker can use でも to leave the timing or method open and make the request feel lighter.
暇(ひま) な時(とき) にでも 読(よ) んでください。Please read it sometime when you have time . Other Uses of でも The spelling でも appears in several constructions:
Sentence-initial でも means “but”: 「でも、今日(きょう) は行(い) けない」 “But I can’t go today.” Verb て-form plus も means “even if” or “even though”: 「雨(あめ) が降(ふ) っても行(い) く」 “Even if it rains, I’ll go.” A question word plus でも can cover every choice: 「何(なん) でも食(た) べる」 “eat anything”. Noun plus でも can name a low or extreme case: 「子供(こども) でもできる」 “even a child can do it”. The surrounding sentence tells you which でも you are looking at.Supplemental Examples Try finding this grammar in the following examples:
