即便 / 即使 ... 也 ...
Reach for this when you want to hold a position even against a worst-case condition — 'even if X, still Y.' 即便 and 即使 introduce a hypothetical extreme (a fight, a failure, a long delay); the 也 clause then says the outcome stands anyway. Stronger than 虽然 because the first clause isn't a fact you're acknowledging — it's a 'what if' you're refusing to let derail you. Common in commentary, persuasive writing, and any sentence that promises something will hold under pressure.
Structure
即便 / 即使 [HYPOTHETICAL EXTREME], [SUBJECT] 也 [STILL-STANDING RESULT]
jíbiàn / jíshǐ ... yě ...
How to Think About It
即便 / 即使 is concession for HYPOTHETICALS, not for facts. 虽然 says 'X is true, but Y'; 即便 says 'even IF X were true, Y still holds.' The 也 in the second clause is non-negotiable — it's what locks the concession in place. Drop 也 and the sentence falls apart, because nothing tells the listener 'this outcome held its ground.' 即便 and 即使 are interchangeable; 即便 sounds slightly more written.
Examples
即使下大雨, 我也要去机场接他。
Jíshǐ xià dà yǔ, wǒ yě yào qù jīchǎng jiē tā.
Even if it rains hard, I'll still go to the airport to pick him up.
即便没人支持, 他也会坚持下去。
Jíbiàn méi rén zhīchí, tā yě huì jiānchí xiàqù.
Even if no one supports him, he'll keep going.
即使你不喜欢我, 我也会对你诚实。
Jíshǐ nǐ bù xǐhuan wǒ, wǒ yě huì duì nǐ chéngshí.
Even if you don't like me, I'll still be honest with you.
Common Mistake
Learners forget the 也 in the second clause, because English 'even if X, Y' doesn't need an explicit 'still.' In Chinese the pattern is broken without 也 — it's the marker that says 'despite the extreme just mentioned, this still happens.'
即使下大雨, 我去跑步。
即使下大雨, 我也去跑步。
Don't Confuse With
虽然 ... 但是 ...
Concession for FACTS, not hypotheticals. 虽然下雨了 = 'although it IS raining'; 即使下雨 = 'even IF it rains.' Pick by whether the first clause is real or imagined.
就算 ... 也 ...
Spoken-register twin. Same meaning and structure; 就算 sounds more casual, 即便 / 即使 more written. Use 就算 in conversation, 即便 in essays.
哪怕 ... 也 ...
Concession on top of an extreme MINIMAL case — 'even if only X, still Y' (哪怕一分钟 = 'even one minute'). Used when the hypothetical is a tiny amount, not a worst case.
Practice
___ 很累, 我也要把这件事做完。
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即使
即便下雪, 学校 ___ 不放假。
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也
Put in order: [即使 / 也 / 不懂 / 我 / 中文 / 去 / 中国]
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即使不懂中文, 我也要去中国。
Translate to Chinese: 'Even if you don't agree, I'll still try.'
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即使你不同意, 我也要试试。
Write one sentence about something you'd do no matter how hard the conditions, using 即便 / 即使 ... 也 ....
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Example answer: 即使没有人看好, 我也会继续学中文。 (Even if no one believes in me, I'll keep learning Chinese.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: