いかに

い

か

に

Common wordJLPTN2Freq.FrequencyTop 5,000

Meanings

adverb

how; in what way

usually written using kana alone

Asks about manner or method; somewhat formal and often used in writing or careful speech.

この問もん題だいをいかに解かい決けつすべきか、考かんがえている。
I am thinking about how we should solve this problem.

adverb

how (much); to what extent

usually written using kana alone

Used with adjectives or verbs to ask about degree; often in rhetorical or emphatic expressions.

彼かれの言こと葉ばがいかに心こころに響ひびいたか、言こと葉ばにできない。
I can't put into words how deeply his words touched me.

adverb

however (much); no matter how

usually written using kana alone

Used in the pattern いかに...も or いかに...でも to mean 'no matter how much'; formal and often literary.

いかに努ど力りょくしても、結けっ果かが出でないこともある。
No matter how hard you try, sometimes you don't get results.

interjection

hey; oi

archaic

Archaic interjection used to call attention; not used in modern Japanese.

古ふるい物もの語がたりでは、「いかに」と呼よびかける場ば面めんがある。
In old tales, there are scenes where someone calls out 'hey!' using いかに.

Written forms

いかにUsage97%
Usually written in kana; the kanji spelling 如何に is rare and literary.
如何いかにUsage3%
Kanji spelling; mostly found in formal or older writing.

Kanji

如likeness, like, such as
何what

Similar words

どう
どう is the common, everyday word for 'how' or 'in what way'; いかに is more formal and often used in writing or rhetoric.
どんなに
どんなに is the standard way to express 'how (much)' or 'to what extent' in casual and neutral speech; いかに is its formal counterpart.

Etymology

Derived from the classical Japanese adverb いかに, which itself comes from the interrogative いか (how) + に (adverbial particle). The kanji 如何 are ateji applied later.