即便如此
Reach for 即便如此 when you've just stated a complication or counterpoint and want to push past it — 'even so / nevertheless.' It's a four-character connector that opens a clause and signals 'despite everything I just said, the next thing still holds.' Heavy in news commentary, analytical writing, and any formal prose that needs to concede a point without losing its argument. In speech it sounds slightly bookish; reserve it for writing or careful spoken discourse.
Structure
[CONCESSION]。即便如此，[MAIN CLAIM]
jíbiàn rúcǐ,...
How to Think About It
即便如此 = 即便 ('even') + 如此 ('this'). 如此 is a pronoun pointing backward to everything you just said. So the phrase literally compresses 'even given all of that' into four syllables. The pattern is anaphoric — it only works when there's specific prior content for 如此 to grab. Open a paragraph with it cold and the listener has nothing to anchor to; always pair it with a real, just-stated obstacle.
Examples
数字很惊人。即便如此，这只是初步估计。
Shùzì hěn jīngrén. Jíbiàn rúcǐ, zhè zhǐshì chūbù gūjì.
The figures are striking. Even so, this is only a preliminary estimate.
工作压力很大。即便如此，他从来没抱怨过。
Gōngzuò yālì hěn dà. Jíbiàn rúcǐ, tā cónglái méi bàoyuàn guo.
The work pressure is huge. Even so, he has never complained.
他们已经尽力了。即便如此，结果还是不理想。
Tāmen yǐjīng jìnlì le. Jíbiàn rúcǐ, jiéguǒ háishì bù lǐxiǎng.
They've already done their best. Even so, the result is still unsatisfactory.
Common Mistake
Learners attach 即便如此 to weak or off-topic prior content, leaving 如此 with nothing meaningful to refer to. The previous clause must actually clash with the next claim — otherwise the rhetorical pivot misfires.
天气不错。即便如此，他没来上班。
他生病了。即便如此，他还是来上班了。
Don't Confuse With
即便如此...依然...
Adding 依然 in the second half reinforces persistence ('still doing it'). Plain 即便如此 just bridges; with 依然 the tone becomes 'and still keeps going.'
尽管如此
Near-synonym. 尽管如此 reads slightly more essayistic / literary; 即便如此 is also formal but slightly more flexible in newsy prose.
话虽如此
Means 'that being said' — more conversational, more diplomatic. Use it when you want to soften pushback; 即便如此 is firmer.
Practice
Fill in the blank: 数字很惊人。___ 如此，这只是初步估计。
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即便
Fill in the blank: 工作压力很大。即便 ___ ，他从来没抱怨过。
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如此
Arrange: 即便如此，/ 不理想 / 结果 / 还是 / 。
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即便如此，结果还是不理想。
Translate to Chinese: They've already done their best. Even so, the result is unsatisfactory.
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他们已经尽力了。即便如此，结果还是不理想。
Write two sentences using 即便如此 about a setback that didn't stop you.
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项目遇到了很多问题。即便如此，我们按时完成了。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: