Referring to いくら〜でも (JLPT N3) | Bunpro and どんなに〜ても (JLPT N3) | Bunpro
If there is one, how can I know which one to use? There seems to be some common collocations that prefers one over the other, but I can’t see anything clear cut.
They’re similar but I think いくら has the nuance of “how much/how many” whereas どんなに is more of an intensity thing.
いくら探しても見つからない - No matter how many times/places I look, I can’t find it.
どんなに探しても見つからない - No matter how hard I look, I can’t find it.
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So how do I know which Bunpro might be looking for? Considering that the translations don’t usually provide that level of specificity.
Hi @Wonkyth! As @Aunel mentioned, どんなに indicates the intensity or degree. On the other hand, いくら technically is used for the amount or quantity, and also degree. They’re used very similarly and often explained as having the same meaning. For me personally, どんなに could sound slightly more emphatic.
For better clarification, we’ve updated yellow hints that appear when you enter the not intended answer for the reviews of both どんなに and いくら. We hope this helps 
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