Expressing "no matter" with "wulun"

无论 (wúlùn) means "no matter," and is generally used in the first part of the sentence. As with many other constructions, 都 and 也 can be used in the second part of the sentence to emphasize the action or decision will not change. It is more formal than 不管.

Structure

无论 + Circumstances + 都 / 也 + Inevitable Result

Note that 不论 (bùlùn) is equivalent to 无论 for this pattern.

Because 无论 means "no matter," the clause that follows 无论 is going to include phrases such as "how hard you try" or "wherever you go," and thus will normally include interrogative pronouns such as 怎么, 多(么), 什么, 谁, etc.

Examples

• 无论 怎么样，他 都 会 放弃，别 高估 他。Wúlùn zěnme yàng, tā dōu huì fàngqì, bié gāo gū tā.No matter what it's like, he will give up. Don't overestimate him.
• 无论 多么 成功，他 总 觉得 自己 不够 好。Wúlùn duōme chénggōng, tā zǒng juédé zìjǐ bù gòu hǎo.No matter how successful he is, he always thinks he isn't enough.
• 无论 你 到 哪儿 我 都 会 跟着 你。Wúlùn nǐ dào nǎ'er wǒ dōu huì gēn zhe nǐWherever you go, I will follow you.
• 无论 你 说 还是 不 说，结果 都 一样。Wúlùn nǐ shuō háishì bù shuō, jiéguǒ dōu yīyàng.Whatever you say, the result will be the same.
• 无论 你 做 什么，我 都 不 喜欢。Wúlùn nǐ zuò shénme, wǒ dōu bù xǐhuan.No matter what you do, I don't like it.
• 无论 给 他 发 多少 消息，他 都 不 回。Wúlùn gěi tā fā duōshǎo xiāoxi, tā dōu bù huí.No matter how many messages you send him, he won't reply.
• 无论 你 想 不想，你 都 要 加班。Wúlùn nǐ xiǎng bùxiǎng, nǐ dōu yào jiābān.You have to work overtime whether you want to or not.
• 无论 我 在 不 在家，你 都 可以 把 快递 放 门口。Wúlùn wǒ zài bù zàijiā, nǐ dōu kěyǐ bǎ kuàidì fàng ménkǒu.Whether I'm at home or not, you can leave your courier at the door.
• 无论 吃 多少 药，病 都 没有 好。Wúlùn chī duōshǎo yào, bìng dōu méiyǒu hǎo.No matter how much medicine you take, you'll never get better.
• 无论 你 去 不 去，我 都 会 去 的。Wúlùn nǐ qù bù qù, wǒ dōu huì qù de.Whether you go or not, I will go.

As we can see from the example sentences, 无论 is often used with 是 X 还是 Y, "Verb 不 Verb" and interrogative pronouns like 多少 and 什么.

无论如何 is a useful set phrase, meaning "no matter what."

See also

• "No matter" with "buguan"
• Expressing "anyway" as "fanzheng"

Sources and further reading

Books

• HSK Standard Course 4下 (pp. 6) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar (pp. 79-80) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Boya Chinese Upper Intermediate 1 (博雅汉语中级冲刺篇) (pp. 115) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• Integrated Chinese: Level 2, Part 1 (pp. 116-7) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• New Practical Chinese Reader 4 (新实用汉语课本4) (pp. 145) Anything Goes (无所不谈) →buy
• 现代汉语八百词（增订本） (pp. 560) [ →buy]
• 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 (pp. 180) 卓越汉语－公司实战篇 →buy
• 40 Lessons for Basic Chinese Course (基础汉语40课下册） (pp. 556) [ →buy]

:Yes