だって is one of the most common words in spoken Japanese, but it has two completely different faces. One is a pouty excuse, the other is emphatic listing.
Face One: Adverb — "Because... (don't blame me)"
When だって comes at the beginning of a sentence, it expresses a personal justification or excuse. It's often paired with もの (casual form: もん):
Pattern: だって + reason + んだもの／んだもん
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| だって、お金が足りないんだもん。 | Because I didn't have enough money! |
| だって、時間がないんだもん。 | Because I don't have time! |
| だって、約束したんだもん。 | Because we promised! |
The tone of だって: slightly pouty, slightly wronged, a bit of "don't blame me." You hear it constantly in Japanese dramas.
だって vs だから
| だって | だから | |
|---|---|---|
| Tone | Defensive, pouty | Objective cause-and-effect |
| Position | Sentence-initial | Sentence-initial or mid-sentence |
| Scene | Defending yourself when pressed | Normally stating a reason |
だって = "Don't blame me, because..." だから = "That's why..."
Face Two: Particle — "Even..."
When だって follows a noun, it functions like も or でも in colloquial speech, meaning "even" or "no matter":
| Example | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 一人だって信じてくれない。 | Not even a single person believes me. |
| この問題は誰だってできる。 | Anyone can do this problem. |
Comparison with でも
| だって | でも | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| 誰だってできる | 誰でもできる | Same meaning; だって is more colloquial |
| 一人だっていない | 一個人もいない | だって ≈ も, with more emphasis |
Quick Rule: Check the Position
| Position | Part of Speech | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Sentence-initial | Adverb | "Because..." (excuse) |
| After a noun | Particle | "Even..." (emphasis) |
One-line rule: だって at the front → making an excuse; だって after a noun → emphasizing.
Bonus: と言えば
A phrase that often comes up alongside だって is と言えば — "speaking of...":
果物の王様と言えば、ドリアンでしょう。 Speaking of the king of fruits, it's durian, right?
と言えば means "when you mention a topic, you naturally think of..." It's close in meaning to と言うと but differs slightly in usage range.
Summary
- だって at sentence start = adverb, excuse: "Because...!" (paired with んだもん)
- だって after a noun = particle, emphasis: "even..." (≈ も / でも)
- Overall very colloquial — rarely used in formal writing
- When you hear 「だって……」 in a drama, someone is making a pouty excuse
Self-Check Exercises
Q1. What usage of だって is in 「だって約束したんだもん」?
Show Answer
Adverb usage, expressing an excuse — "Because we promised!" だって is at the sentence start, followed by a reason + んだもん. This is the classic pouty justification pattern.
Q2. What can だって be replaced with in 「この問題は誰だってできる」?
Show Answer
It can be replaced with でも — 「誰でもできる」, with exactly the same meaning: "Anyone can do it." Here だって is a particle, equivalent to the colloquial form of でも.
Q3. Is 「だって時間がないんだもん」 giving a reason or emphasizing?
Show Answer
Giving a reason (making an excuse). だって is at the sentence start, paired with んだもん, meaning "Because I don't have time!" The speaker is justifying themselves.