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Top > 日本語を勉強しましょう / Let's study Japanese! > Anything About Japanese
How is it used in the context of meaning "anything like" or "such things as"? Nでも or Nなど
でも means "even things aa, bb, cc', while など means "things aa, bb, cc etc.".
「じゃがいも・ナス・きゅうりなどは野菜です。」 (Potatoes, eggplants, cucumbers etc. are vegetables) (など = "etc.")
古いパソコンでも、人工知能が利用できる。(AI can be used even on old PCs) (でも = "even on")
Not quite sure how you got those two mixed up, but thinking of でも as of "even" is a safe bet. Well, sometimes it can actually function as a stronger も, for instance:
「イチゴ・ラズベリー・ブルーベリーなどはべりーです。」「ところで、スイカは?」「ああ、そうですね。実はスイカでもベリーですね。」("Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries etc. are berries." "By the way, what about watermelons?" "Ah, yeah, right. Actually, watermelons are also berries.")
Not sure how natural it sounds, but I've definitely heard this pattern used, even though for me personally that extra で feels redundant (since も on its own would do fine).
でも following a noun also has a meaning of 'or something', which can seem similar in English to 'things like' out of context. It's detailed under usage 3 here: https://www.renshuu.org/grammar/122
It is distinct from など in that it's used to suggest an option (in expressing a request, proposal etc.), e.g.:
ピクニックでも行きましょう。 = Let's go on a picnic or something.
雪だるまでも作りませんか。 = Would you like to build a snowman or something?
でも following a noun also has a meaning of 'or something', which can seem similar in English to 'things like' out of context. It's detailed under usage 3 here: https://www.renshuu.org/grammar/122
It is distinct from など in that it's used to suggest an option (in expressing a request, proposal etc.), e.g.:
ピクニックでも行きましょう。 = Let's go on a picnic or something.
雪だるまでも作りませんか。 = Would you like to build a snowman or something?
Ah, okay, so basically など is used in context where I'm just listing stuff, and でも where there's a question there?
A suggestion doesn't have to include a question:
ピクニックでも行きましょう。 = Let's go on a picnic or something.
Likewise, a partial listing can be incorporated into a question:
2、3、5などは素数と呼ばれますか。 = Are 2, 3, 5 etc. called prime numbers?
So I wouldn't classify them solely based on if "there's a question" or not, but yes, you got the gist of it.