Introduction（English, question-driven）
Have you ever wanted to say, “No matter what, this is the #1 choice” in Japanese?
For example:
- If you talk about summer fun, what’s the one thing you’d pick?
- After a long day of work, what drink feels like the obvious winner?
- If someone asks what you like about Japan, what would you say is undeniably your favorite?
When you want to highlight the most important point or the top choice (from several options), JLPT N3 grammar 何といっても (nanto ittemo) is a very natural expression.
1. Meaning: What does 何といっても mean?
何といっても is used to emphasize the #1 thing (in your opinion)—the point that stands out the most.
Common English equivalents:
- above all
- undeniably
- no question
- when it comes down to it
- nothing beats ~
2. Formation
何といっても + (phrase)
- 何 here does not mean you’re asking a question. It works like: “no matter what you say / however you put it…”
- と: quoting particle
- Marks what is being “said” or treated as a quoted label.
- いって: verb いう → いって
- 言う / いう is a Godan (U-) verb meaning “to say.”
- Here it appears in the て-form: いう → いって
- も: additive particle
3. Useful Examples
夏の楽しみといえば、何といっても海だ。
Speaking of summer fun, it’s the beach—no question.
私が好きなお酒は、何といってもビールだ。
My favorite alcoholic beverage is, without a doubt, beer.
日本の好きなところは、何といってもアニメだ。
What I like about Japan is, above all, anime.
ゆみさんの魅力は、何といっても歌だ。
Yumi’s charm lies above all in her singing.
日本語の勉強で難しいのは、何といっても漢字だ。
The hardest part of studying Japanese is, undeniably, Kanji.
4. Related grammar (comparison)
Nといえば
It introduces an association (“Speaking of N…”), but it doesn’t inherently mean “the best/most important.”
何といっても adds a ranking/strong emphasis feeling.
Example:
- 夏といえば海だ。 (The beach comes to mind for summer.)
- 夏の楽しみといえば、何といっても海だ。 (Among summer fun, the beach is #1.)
何より（も）
何より is very close to 何といっても in the sense of “more than anything / above all.”
So in some sentences, you can swap them with little change in meaning.
- たけしさんのいいところは、何より（or 何といっても）やさしいところです。= The best thing about Takeshi-san is, above all, his kindness.
However, 何より has a couple of common patterns that 何といっても normally can’t replace:
- 何より + の + N (superlative “the best ~”)
- 読書は何よりの楽しみです。= Reading is my greatest pleasure.
- You never say: 読書は何といってもの楽しみです
- 何よりです (set phrase: “I’m glad / that’s a relief”): Used as a fixed response when you hear good news.
先生のおかげで病気がなおりました。
Thanks to you, I got better.
それは何よりです。
I’m really glad to hear that / That’s a relief.
(You never say: それは何といってもです)
5. Practice
Translate the following English into Japanese using “何といっても.”
| English | Example Answer |
|---|---|
| Speaking of summer, it’s the beach—no question. | 夏といえば、何といっても海だ。 |
| My favorite alcoholic beverage is, without a doubt, wine. | 私が好きなお酒は、何といってもワインだ。 |
| If you’re talking about Japanese pop culture, it’s definitely anime. | 日本のポップカルチャーといえば、何といってもアニメだ。 |
FAQ
- QWhat is the difference between 何といっても (nanto ittemo) and 一番 (ichiban)?
- A
While both can translate to “number one” or “the most,” 一番 (ichiban) is simply a ranking. It can be used for objective facts.
E.g., 富士山は日本で一番高い山です。= Mt. Fuji is the highest mountain.何といっても, on the other hand, carries strong emotion and subjectivity. It implies, “No matter what anyone else says or what other options exist, I firmly believe this stands out the most.”
- QDoes 何といっても always have to be used with ～といえば?
- A
No, it doesn’t! While they pair together beautifully (as seen in the examples: “Speaking of X, undeniably Y is the best”), you can use 何といっても entirely on its own to emphasize your main point.
この店のカレーは、何といってもスパイスが最高だ。= The best thing about this restaurant’s curry is, without a doubt, the spices.
- QCan I use 何といっても for negative things?
- A
Yes, absolutely. It is not limited to favorites or fun things. You can use it to emphasize the hardest, worst, or most tiring aspect of something.
引越しで大変なのは、何といっても荷造りだ。= The hardest part about moving is, undeniably, packing.
- QIs this grammar formal or casual?
- A
t is very versatile. You will hear it constantly in everyday casual conversations among friends, and it is perfectly fine to use in polite polite speech (Desu/Masu form) with colleagues.
However, because it expresses a strong subjective opinion, it is usually avoided in highly objective academic writing or strict formal business reports.
Conclusion
In this article, you learned how to use 何といっても (nanto ittemo) to highlight the top choice or the most important point—like saying “above all,” “no question,” or “nothing beats ~” in Japanese.
With this grammar, you can now:
- pick one thing as the clear #1 from several options,
- emphasize the main reason something stands out,
- and make your opinions sound more natural and confident in conversation.
Want to improve your Japanese with real conversations?
Our native Japanese instructors at gokigen japanese can help you perfect your pronunciation and learn real-life usage.
Whether you’re completely new to Japanese or looking to refine your skills, book a one-on-one session.
