At a glance
AかれBかれ pairs two opposite い-adjective stems to mean "whether A or B" or "either way". It is used in a few fixed expressions such as 遅かれ早かれ "sooner or later" and 多かれ少なかれ "more or less".
[い-adj stem]かれ [opposite い-adj stem]かれ、[statement]
遅かれ早かれ、本当のことは分かるだろう。 Sooner or later, the truth will come out.
How to form it
Add かれ to the stem of each adjective (the adjective without the final い). The three common expressions are:
| Expression | Built from | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| 多かれ少なかれ | 多い + 少ない | more or less, to some degree | Slightly formal, also used in speech |
| 遅かれ早かれ | 遅い + 早い | sooner or later | Slightly formal, also used in speech |
| 良かれ悪しかれ | 良い + 悪し | for better or worse | Mostly written and formal speech |
悪し is an old form of 悪い, so the phrase is 悪しかれ.