42207
Two kids are playing 'house' ままごと. The speaker is happy. The person she is
speaking to has just suggested that it's pointless.

> 「まったくおとうさんは現実的なんだから。さあ、テレビ **でも** 見てちょうだい。ほら、キンちゃんがでてるわよ」  
>  Good grief, it's because you're pragmatic. Come now, _please watch TV_.
> Look キンちゃん is on.

I'm either failing to understand でも or ちょうだい in this sentence. I thought verb-
てちょうだい meant 'please do verb'. In which case I can't make sense of でも with a
meaning of 'even' or で+も as two separate particles.

My initial thought is that I am misunderstanding ちょうだい. If I take it to mean
'won't you do' rather than 'please do'. Then I can have "Won't you even watch
TV?"
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-02T18:08:35.887
42204
2021-08-14T04:19:47.223
7944
question
grammar particle-でも
Meaning of でも or ちょうだい in テレビでも見てちょうだい
> 「まったくおとうさんは現実的{げんじつてき}なんだから。さあ、テレビ **でも** 見{み}て **ちょうだい** 。ほら、キンちゃんがでてるわよ。」

Easier item first -- 「Verb in て-form +ちょうだい」. The only thing this can express
is a friendly request. No exceptions. "please do ~~"

Next, the not so easy -- 「でも」. Here, it does not mean "even". It is used to
give an example (as in suggesting an action) instead of making a clear
statement as in an imperative or declarative. It simply means " **~~ or
something** " rather than "this or that". Please know that this usage of 「でも」
is _**very**_ common.

「コーヒー **でも** 、どうですか？」 ("How about grabbing a coffee or something?")

「ひまなら助詞{じょし}の勉強{べんきょう} **でも** したら？」 (If you have spare time, why dontcha study
Japanese particles or something?)

> 「テレビでも見てちょうだい。」 means:
>
> "Why dontcha watch TV or something!" or "Please watch TV or something!"
CC BY-SA 4.0
2017-01-03T00:49:45.727
42207
2021-08-14T04:19:47.223
2021-08-14T04:19:47.223
42204
answer