Like the title says, I am trying to wrap my head around these words. 何か、誰か and どこか are straight forward enough, meaning anything, anyone and anywhere.
Where it gets difficult for me is for example 誰も and 誰でも, that apparently mean anyone and no one, but it seems like they can both mean both words depending on what you put after them. For example:
誰もいい Anyone is good
誰でもいい Anyone is good
誰もよくない No one is good
誰でもよくない No one is good
And then I learned that the particles に or へ can replace the で in 誰でも. Okay so, 誰にも, I looked it up and it means “to anyone” which makes sense with my understanding of the に particle, but then apparently it only works when the sentence is negative, so it only means “to no one”? What about if I wanna say “Give it to anyone”, is that not “誰にも与えて”?
And then when trying to figure this out I stumbled across 誰とも too (on google translate so I am taking it with a grain of salt), used in for example “誰とも喋て” or “Talk to (with) anyone”
I’ve been using 誰も/誰でも for examples but I believe if I learn the basics of how particles affect this stuff I’ll be able to understand 何も/何でも and どこも/どこでも too?
Anyway, I’d be really appreciative if someone who understands these concepts could explain them to me like I’m five.
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Bumping because I also have been letting this grammar slide on by in my brain for years.
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My favourite new thing is throwing grammar questions like these into Chat GPT.
“ I’d be happy to help simplify this for you! Let’s break it down:
1. 誰も (Dare mo): This means “no one” or “everyone,” depending on the context.
– 誰もいい (Dare mo ii): “Anyone is good” or “No one is good,” context-dependent.
2. 誰でも (Dare demo): This means “anyone.” It’s generally used in affirmative sentences.
– 誰でもいい (Dare demo ii): “Anyone is good.”
3. 誰にも (Dare ni mo): This is often used in negative sentences to mean “to no one.”
– 誰にも与えて (Dare ni mo ataete): “Give it to no one.”
4. 誰とも (Dare to mo): This means “with anyone” or “together with anyone.” It’s used when you want to convey the idea of doing something with others.
– 誰とも喋て (Dare to mo hanashite): “Talk to (with) anyone.”
The key to understanding these concepts is context. The choice between “no one” and “anyone” depends on the context of the sentence. Additionally, the particles like に, へ, or で can affect the meaning by specifying the direction or manner of the action.
This understanding should also help you with words like 何も (nani mo) and どこも (doko mo), which follow a similar pattern. Feel free to ask if you have more specific questions or need further clarification!”
MASSIVE DISCLAIMER: I’ve a friend that’s studied Japanese for years and he’s married to a Native speaker – so I always sense check with them. Never trust ChatGPT’s accuracy
もis often used for added emphasis to words, and in this case makes the meaning “everyone” or “everything” is positive sentences (る・ます), and “no one”or“nothing” in negative sentences (ない・ません).
でもchanges the meaning to “even if”or “anything.” It carries a meaning that regardless of the what someone chooses to do or the circumstance, then the remainder of the sentence is true.
誰もいい means something more like, “everyone is good”.
誰でもいい means something more like, “regardless of who it is, it is good”. 誰でもよくない means something more like, “regardless of who it is, it is bad”.
It’s like “no matter who/what”