日本語道場

Nihongo Dojo — N3 → N2

Grammar

N2

~うが~まいが

~(y)ō ga ~mai ga

whether or not

When to use it

Use ~うが~まいが in formal or written Japanese to say that the outcome holds regardless of whether an action happens. It is the emphatic, more rhetorical cousin of ~ても~なくても, common in reports, policy statements, and firm negotiating positions. Because it sounds declarative and slightly confrontational, reserve it for written documents or set-piece remarks rather than casual back-and-forth in a meeting.

Formation

  • Verbs (godan): volitional + が + dictionary form + まいが → 売れようが売れまいが
  • Verbs (ichidan): volitional + が + ます-stem + まいが (dictionary + まいが also seen) → 認めようが認めまいが/認めるまいが
  • する: しようが + しまいが(するまいが)
  • 来る: 来ようが + 来まいが(来るまいが)
  • い-adjectives: rare; use かろうが~なかろうが → 高かろうが高くなかろうが
  • な-adjectives / nouns: use であろうが~でなかろうが/~であるまいが → 赤字であろうがなかろうが
  • The two verbs are normally the same verb, affirmative then negative; the clause is followed by a main statement that is unaffected.

Examples

  • Whether or not we land the contract, please file a report.

  • Whether or not the director agrees, this policy stands.

  • Price cut or no price cut, we can't avoid losing share.

  • Whether or not they accept it, we'll reply within the deadline.

  • In the black or not, the plan is to keep investing.