How to say "anyway" in Japanese

• とにかくJLPT N3approx.Common
  adverbThe broadest of these: it works both for the 'anyway, let's set that aside' move in conversation and for 'at any rate, in any case' when summing up a point. This is the word most learners need for 'anyway'.
  とにかく、試験しけんが終おわってほっとしたよ。↗

  Anyhow, I'm relieved the test is over.
• ともかくJLPT N2approx.Common
  adverbClose to とにかく, but with a stronger flavor of deliberately setting one point aside before moving on; it can also mean 'generally speaking' or 'somehow or other'. A natural pick when you want to bracket a question off.
  ともかく合格ごうかくしてうれしい。↗

  I'm glad to have passed at all.
• 所詮しょせんCommon
  adverbReally means 'after all; in the end': a judgment that something ultimately amounts to little or was never going to be otherwise, often with resignation. This is seldom the word you want for conversational 'anyway'.
  時間じかんはあなたの好すきなように過すごせばいい。所詮しょせん、あなたの時間じかんなのだから。↗

  You can spend your time in any way you want; it's your time, after all.
• どうせJLPT N2approx.Common
  adverbCovers 'anyway' in the resigned, fatalistic sense: 'in any case', 'regardless', 'either way', when the outcome seems settled and nothing can change it. It colors the sentence with resignation, so it suits 'it's no use anyway' rather than a neutral transition.
• 何しろなにしろJLPT N2approx.Common
  adverbMeans 'in any case; at any rate', typically used to introduce the decisive reason behind a situation — 'the point is, after all, that...'. Use it when 'anyway' serves to justify or explain rather than to change the subject.

Choose 「とにかく」 for the general 'in any case, moving on' sense, 「ともかく」 when setting a point aside, 「どうせ」 for a resigned 'it makes no difference', 「何しろ」 to stress the decisive reason, and 所詮 only for 'after all' conclusions.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• とにかくanyway
• ともかくanyhow
• 所詮しょせんafter all
• どうせin any case
• 何しろなにしろin any case
• どのみちanyway
• どっちみちanyway
• それはそうとanyway
• とまれanyway
• それはそうとしてanyway
• 何分にもなにぶんにもanyway
• どうでもanyway
• とにもかくにもat any rate
• ともかくもanyhow
• 何にせよなんにせよat any rate
• とまれかくまれin any case
• そもafter all
• 何にしろなんにしろat any rate
• なにせin any case
• いずれにしてもanyhow
• いずれにせよat any rate
• いずれにしろanyhow
• それはそれとしてputting that aside
• 同じおなじanyway
• とりあえずanyway
• いずれanyway
• そもそもafter all
• とかくat any rate
• 何分なにぶんanyway
• まずanyway
• まずはanyway