If you’ve ever wanted to say “both” in Japanese, you might wonder if there’s a direct equivalent to the English word.

The good news is that Japanese has several natural ways to express “both,” and each one is used in a slightly different situation.

In this guide, you’ll learn the three most common expressions:

• AもBも – Both A and B
• AとBの両方（りょうほう） – Both A and B (with emphasis)
• どちらも – Both (of the two options)

Let’s dive in!

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1. AもBも (The Most Common Way)

The easiest and most common way to say “both A and B” is:

AもBも

It literally means “A also, B also,” but together it translates as “both A and B.”

Structure

Aも Bも + sentence

Examples

日本語にほんごも英語えいごも話はなせます。
I can speak both Japanese and English.

犬いぬも猫ねこも好すきです。
I like both dogs and cats.

父ちちも母ははも仕事しごとです。
Both my father and mother are at work.

This is the expression you’ll hear most often in everyday Japanese.

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2. AとBの両方りょうほう (Adding Emphasis)

If you want to emphasize both, use:

AとBの両方りょうほう

両方りょうほう literally means “both” or “both sides.”

Structure

AとBの両方りょうほう + を / が…

Examples

日本語にほんごと英語えいごの両方りょうほうを勉強べんきょうしています。
I’m studying both Japanese and English.

コーヒーと紅茶こうちゃの両方りょうほうが好すきです。
I like both coffee and tea.

土曜日どようびと日曜日にちようびの両方働りょうほうはたらきます。
I work both Saturday and Sunday.

Compared to AもBも, this expression sounds slightly more formal and is common in writing.

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3. どちらも (Both of the Two)

Another useful expression is:

どちらも

Unlike the previous patterns, どちらも is used when the two choices have already been mentioned. Instead of repeating both nouns, you simply say どちらも.

Examples

A: コーヒーと紅茶こうちゃ、どちらが好すきですか。
Which do you like, coffee or tea?

B: どちらも好すきです。
I like both.

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A: 日本語にほんごと英語えいご、どちらを話はなせますか。
Can you speak Japanese or English?

B: どちらも話はなせます。
I can speak both.

Think of どちらも as meaning:

“Both of those.”

It’s perfect when you’re answering a question about two options.

💡 Note: You can also answer with 両方好りょうほうすきです or 両方話りょうほうはなせます. Both are completely natural. In conversation, どちらも is more directly tied to a どちら (“which of the two?”) question, while 両方りょうほう simply emphasizes both. Native speakers use both expressions frequently.

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4. “Neither A nor B”

Here’s something interesting!

The pattern AもBも is also used to mean “neither A nor B.” The meaning changes depending on whether the sentence is positive or negative.

Positive

犬いぬも猫ねこも好すきです。
I like both dogs and cats.

Negative

犬いぬも猫ねこも好すきじゃありません。
I like neither dogs nor cats.

Another example:

日本語にほんごも英語えいごも話はなせません。
I can speak neither Japanese nor English.

So remember:

• Positive sentence = Both
• Negative sentence = Neither

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Common Mistakes

❌ 日本語にほんごと英語えいごも話はなせます。

Only one noun uses も, so this sounds unnatural.

✅ 日本語にほんごも英語えいごも話はなせます。

Both nouns need も.

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❌ どちらも犬いぬと猫ねこが好すきです。

This is unnatural because どちらも doesn’t introduce the two items.

✅ 犬いぬも猫ねこも好すきです。

or

犬いぬと猫ねこ、どちらが好すきですか。
どちらも好すきです。

Use どちらも only after the two choices have already been mentioned.

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Which One Should You Use?

Expression	Meaning	Best Used When
AもBも	Both A and B	Mentioning both items directly
AとBの両方（りょうほう）	Both A and B	Adding emphasis or sounding more formal
どちらも	Both (of the two)	Answering a question about two options

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Practice

Translate these sentences into Japanese.

1. I like both sushi and ramen.
2. Both my brother and sister live in Tokyo.
3. I can read both hiragana and katakana.
4. I can speak both.
5. I don’t have either time or money.

Answers

1. 寿司すしもラーメンも好すきです。
2. 兄あにも姉あねも東京とうきょうに住すんでいます。
3. ひらがなもカタカナも読よめます。
4. どちらも話はなせます。 (If two languages have already been mentioned.)
5. 時間じかんもお金かねもありません。

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Key Takeaways

• AもBも is the most common and natural way to say “both A and B.”
• AとBの両方（りょうほう） emphasizes both and sounds slightly more formal.
• どちらも means “both of the two options” and is used when the choices have already been mentioned.
• AもBも with a negative verb means “neither A nor B.”
• Make sure to use も after both nouns, not just one.

Once you master these three expressions, you’ll be able to talk naturally about your preferences, abilities, family, hobbies, and much more in Japanese!

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