Understanding ても

Question

I was taught that the meaning of AてもB falls into one of four categories:

1. Even if A, B; B even if A.
2. Although A, B; Even though A, B; Though A, B.
3. When combined with an interrogative word like 何, 誰, どう, etc., expresses "no matter what/who/how/etc."
4. When いい is added after Vても, implies V is allowed.

The four definitions above make sense most of the time. Sometimes, they don't.

I have difficulties applying the meaning of ても to the two sentences below.

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From One Piece, when Shanks told Luffy he can't become a pirate because he can't swim. Luffy argued

カナヅチでも船から落ちなきゃいいじゃないか!!

それに戦ってもおれは強いんだ!!

How I am supposed to understand the usage of ても in the second sentence? Applying definitions 1, 2, and 4 doesn't make sense here. I can roughly understand the second sentence as

And no matter who I fight, I'm strong!!

I'm not sure if this is the correct way to understand the sentence. Are interrogative words necessary to express the "no matter" meaning of ても?

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Dad noticed his fat son ate lots of sweets. He yelled

こんなにお菓子を食べても動けるんだ?

I'm not sure how to understand ても here. I feel that all four definitions are not applicable in this example because it will make the sentence sound weird when translated. How to understand this sentence in the "Japanese way."

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Also, how ても grammar constructions actually work. Based on my observations, I can understand all four definitions of AてもB as

As much as A is happening, still B.

Is it good idea to interpret ても this way?

Answer 1

Is it good idea to interpret ても this way?

If it works for you, then yes. Japanese and English are very different languages, and one-to-one translations rules only work for simple constructs. I think it is better to understand the Japanese grammar as an abstract concept, like you did with "As much as A is happening, still B", and then be more specific with the English translation depending on the context. Personally, I think of ても as "despite/even".

それに戦ってもおれは強いんだ!!

Besides, I'm a strong fighter (lit. Besides, I'm strong even when it comes to fighting.)

I think it's a bit confusing because he's only using one ても. But you can think of it as him saying, "それに戦っても、走っても、料理しても、おれは強いんだ" (I'm strong/good whether it be fighting, racing, or cooking), without explicitly saying all the other things he's good at.

こんなにお菓子を食べても動けるんだ?

I can't believe you're still mobile after eating all this. (lit. You can still move despite eating this much?)