1.
what kind of; what sort of
A formal way to ask about the nature or type of something. Used in questions.
2.
whatever; any; no matter what
Used to emphasize that something applies regardless of the type or circumstances. Common in formal declarations and legal/official language.
A formal/literary prenominal adjective (連体詞) that always appears before a noun. Derived from いかなり, the 連体形 of the classical adjective いかなり (how; what manner).
Common collocations
- いかなる場合も — under any circumstances
- いかなる理由であっても — for whatever reason
- いかなる困難にも — against any difficulty
- いかなる状況でも — in any situation
Usage
Appears frequently in legal documents, formal speeches, rules and regulations, and literary prose. In sense 2, often paired with も to create a 'no matter what' construction (いかなる〜も). Too formal for casual conversation — use どんな instead in everyday speech.