〜であれ〜であれ (~de are ~de are) — whether ~ or ~ (the same either way)
'Whether A or B, the same rule holds' — formal and firm.
Formula (सूत्र ढाँचा)
Grammar rule (व्याकरण नियम र परिभाषा)
When to use it
- In company rules or a magazine article you meet sentences like 「正社員であれアルバイトであれ、安全のルールは守らなければならない。」— full-timer or part-timer, the safety rules must be kept.
- It is a stiff word of written language — speeches, rules, articles.
Meaning
- Two examples from the same group are named, and the sentence says 'whichever it is, the result or rule is the same.'
- What follows says 'the same for everyone': 〜なければならない・〜が大切だ・〜は同じだ・〜義務がある.
How to attach
Directly after a noun or な-adjective: 台風であれ大雪であれ
Versus what you know
- N2The meaning is close to 「〜にしろ〜にしろ・〜にせよ〜にせよ」, but 「であれ」is stiffer, a written word.
- Don't mix it up with the previous point, 「なり〜なり」: なり = 'pick either, just do something' (advice); であれ = 'whichever, it makes no difference, the same applies' (a conclusion).
Watch out
- Both words must belong to one group — beer and wine (both alcohol), typhoon and heavy snow (both bad weather).
- An unrelated pair like 'typhoon or cake' does not work.
Examples (उदाहरणहरू)
正社員であれアルバイトであれ、安全のルールは守らなければならない。
せいしゃいんであれアルバイトであれ、あんぜんのルールはまもらなければならない。
Full-timer or part-timer, everyone must follow the safety rules.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 正社員 = full-time employee, アルバイト = part-timer (both in the 'worker' group) → 「であれ」 after both → then a rule that applies to everyone: 守らなければならない.
日本人であれ外国人であれ、税金を納める義務がある。
にほんじんであれがいこくじんであれ、ぜいきんをおさめるぎむがある。
Japanese or foreign, everyone has a duty to pay taxes.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 日本人 = Japanese, 外国人 = foreigner (both 'people living here') → 「であれ」 twice → then the same duty for everyone: 義務がある.
漢字であれ文法であれ、毎日少しずつ続けることが大切だ。
かんじであれぶんぽうであれ、まいにちすこしずつつづけることがたいせつだ。
Kanji or grammar, what matters is keeping at it a little every day.
How it is built (कसरी बन्यो) 漢字 = kanji, 文法 = grammar (both 'language study') → 「であれ」 → then what applies to both: 続けることが大切だ.
Knowledge check (मिनी ज्ञान जाँच)
「現金＿カードであれ、支払いの手続きは同じです。」— fill the blank.
💡 Hint: Whatever the second word has, the first needs too.
N + であれ + N + であれ: 現金であれカードであれ = cash or card, the procedure is the same.
In which sentence is 「であれ〜であれ」unnatural?
💡 Hint: Are the two words from the same group?
であれ〜であれ needs words from one group. An earthquake and a cake share no group.
「学生＿社会人＿、遅刻は遅刻だ。」Which says 'whichever, the rule is the same'?
💡 Hint: Not advice — a conclusion that 'it makes no difference'.
であれ〜であれ = the same whichever. なり〜なり is for advice, といい〜といい for judging one thing.
Your score: /3