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This is from 楽しいムーミン一家. You can watch the full dialogue here starting from 2:35 if you need more context. The part I'm asking about begins around 3:25.

Basically, winter is coming so Snufkin is planning to go on a journey as usual. Moomin doesn't want to part with his friend so he asks Moomin Papa if he can go together with Snufkin. Papa says:

スナフキンは孤独を愛している。だから、彼には一人旅がどうしても必要なんだ。

Snufkin loves to be alone. For him it needs to be a solitary journey no matter what.

To which Moomin replies:

それは僕だって知ってる…

The overall message is undoubtedly "I know that" but what does だって add here? My guess is that it means "I know that better than anyone else" but I'm not sure... It doesn't seem to match the dictionary definitions.

2 Answers 2

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This link definition #1, and this link.

Translation: "Even I know that." or "I too know that".

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  • And it doesn't seem strange to say this when he is basically Snufkin's best friend? It seems so obvious that he would know something like that, so why say "even"? Maybe I'm just overthinking it...
    – kuchitsu
    Jun 10, 2016 at 23:21
  • I think it's used to emphasize that particular point--that he, since he is his best friend that even he knows that. Maybe this helps: ejje.weblio.jp/sentence/content/…
    – ishikun
    Jun 10, 2016 at 23:48
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    Ok, so it can mean "I know that too" as well? That makes much more sense to me. Thanks!
    – kuchitsu
    Jun 11, 2016 at 17:19
  • No worries, glad you got it :)
    – ishikun
    Jun 12, 2016 at 19:30
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"だって" has two different meanings, ①"even" as ishikun answered, and ② "as I heard (someone says). You can use it in such a way;

In case ①:

地球が丸いことなんて、3歳の子供だって知っている - The earth is round in shape, even 3-year old boy knows that.

だって"How do you do?"くらいは言える - Even I can speak (a basic thing like) How do you do?.

パパだって僕に嘘ついたじゃん - Even dad told me a lie!

In case ②:

彼、会社を辞めるんだって? I heard he is leaving the company. (Is it true?)

彼女留学するんだって They say she is going to study abroad.

明日は晴だって (The weather forecast says) it's fine tomorrow.

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  • Good examples, but just to be clear, your not claiming that case 2 is a possibility for the OP's question are you? Jun 11, 2016 at 9:51
  • 「だって」には他にも意味がありそうです。「コナンくんが実は新一だって、蘭ねぇちゃんは気づいているんですか?」とか、「 だって 、女の子なんだもん。」とか。。
    – chocolate
    Jun 11, 2016 at 10:07
  • I think 「コナンくんが実は新一だって」is in the same arena or at least in the neighborhood of the case 2. "だって" of "だって、女の子の ..., " which is a conjuncture that means "But" is a totally different creature from "だって" of "僕だって" in terms of usage and function referred in the OP's question. It's a different matter, like 月 (つき) - the moon and 月のもの - menstruation, and 鉢 (はち) - a bowl, 蜂 (はち) - a wasp, and 八(はち)- eight. All sound phonetically the same, but you'd never mix them up. Jun 11, 2016 at 12:02
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    @user3856370. The OP's example comes under the Case 1. The Case 2 is shown as the different usage of だって from the usage mentioned in the question for the reference. Jun 11, 2016 at 12:13
  • @Chocolate「コナンくんが実は新一 だって ...」通訳したら "... that Conan is actually Shinichi" ; 「 だって 、女の子なんだもん。」通訳したら、" I mean , she's a girl, after all..." Sep 6, 2017 at 7:25

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