Whatever, Wherever, Whoever: бы ни
To say "whatever," "whoever," or "wherever" in Russian, combine a question word (like что, кто, or где) with the particles бы and ни. This creates a "universal concessive clause"—meaning that no matter what the circumstances are, the main action or result remains the same.
The structure is: [Question word] + бы + [Subject/Object] + ни + [Verb]
Crucial rule: Because of the hypothetical particle бы, the verb in this clause must always be in the past tense, even if you are talking about the present or the future! And just like with как ни, the particle ни does not make the verb negative.
| Whatever happens, our friendship will not die. | Что бы ни случилось, наша дружба не умрёт. |
| Whoever argued with us, our friendship will win. | Кто бы ни спорил с нами, наша дружба победит. |
Declining the Question Word
Depending on its grammatical role in the sentence, the question word changes case.
If you want to say "whatever [noun]," use the question word какой (which/what kind of) and make sure it agrees with the noun it modifies in gender, number, and case.
| Whatever decision he made, I will always support him. | Какое бы решение он ни принял, я всегда буду его поддерживать. |
You will also see кто decline into cases like кого to mean "whomever."
| Whomever they condemned, we will stay together. | Кого бы они ни осудили, мы останемся вместе. |
When a preposition is needed, it simply goes right before the question word:
| Whomever they attacked, he always protected the weak. | На кого бы они ни нападали, он всегда защищал слабых. |
Other Question Words
You can use this exact same pattern with question words of location, like где (where) and куда (to where), to talk about unwavering loyalty no matter the distance.
| Wherever he was, he never abandoned his family. | Где бы он ни находился, он никогда не покидал свою семью. |
| Wherever you went, I will not abandon you. | Куда бы ты ни поехал, я не покину тебя. |