ENGLISH
REFERENCE

no matter what

fixed phr..
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford

fixed phr.. you use this to say that something will happen or stay the same, even if there are problems or changes.

fixed phr.. a concessive phrase used to indicate that a particular condition or circumstance will not alter a planned outcome or a fundamental truth.


SIMPLE

I will be there for you no matter what.

CONTEXTUAL

No matter what the weather is like, the football match will go ahead as planned.

COMPLEX

The company remains committed to its environmental targets no matter what economic challenges may arise in the coming fiscal year.

Usage

can be used alone at the end of a sentence or followed by a clause or noun phrase.

Teaching tip

this functions as a more emphatic version of 'regardless'; it is useful for teaching concession and can be practiced by finishing 'I will...' sentences.

Pitfall

no matter what happens itno matter what happenswhen 'no matter what' is followed by a verb like 'happens', do not add an extra object pronoun at the end of that clause.

© 2026 English Reference