Expression dictionary — full article
Contrast & Concession · even if, even though, no matter how/what
The grammar pattern V+아/어도 is used to express that a certain outcome or state will occur or remain true, regardless of the action or condition presented in the preceding clause. It conveys a sense of inevitability or strong likelihood, emphasizing that the result is fixed or unavoidable despite a contrary or hypothetical situation.
This pattern attaches to the stem of a verb or adjective. It signifies a concessive relationship, meaning 'even if' or 'even though'. The clause before -아/어도 presents a condition or action, and the clause after it describes a result that will happen despite that condition or action. It can also be used to express that something is unimportant or doesn't make a difference. This pattern is often paired with words like 아무리 (no matter how) or 아무리 ~해도 (no matter how much you do ~) to intensify the meaning of 'no matter what'.
The conjugation follows the standard ㅏ/ㅗ vowel harmony rule:
If the verb/adjective stem ends in ㅏ or ㅗ, add -아도.
If the verb/adjective stem ends in any other vowel (ㅓ, ㅜ, ㅡ, ㅣ, etc.), add -어도.
If the verb/adjective stem ends in 하다, it changes to 하여도 which contracts to 해도.
While similar to -(으)ㄹ지라도 or -더라도, -아/어도 often implies a more direct or certain inevitability of the outcome, or a stronger emphasis on the 'even if' condition. It can also be used to express permission or allowance, meaning 'even if you do X, it's okay' (e.g., '먹어도 돼요?' - Can I eat it? / Is it okay even if I eat it?). However, the primary meaning discussed here is 'inevitable outcome'. When used with question words like '누가', '언제', '어디', '무엇', '어떻게', it translates to 'no matter who/when/where/what/how'. For example, 아무리 어려워도 포기하지 마세요. (No matter how difficult it is, don't give up.)