即使……也……
Reach for this when you want to say 'even if X were true, Y would still happen.' 即使下雨, 我也要去. (Even if it rains, I'm still going.) The first clause sets up an extreme or hypothetical scenario; the second insists the result holds anyway. Use it to express resolve, stubborn commitment, or worst-case predictions: even if it costs a million, even if no one comes, even if I fail.
Structure
即使 [HYPOTHETICAL EXTREME], [SUBJECT] 也 [RESULT]
jíshǐ... yě...
How to Think About It
即使 is for HYPOTHETICALS; 虽然 is for FACTS. 虽然他很累 = 'he's tired (real)'; 即使他很累 = 'even if he were tired (imagined extreme).' The 也 in the second half is doing crucial work — it means 'still, regardless.' Dropping 也 makes the sentence feel like a normal conditional ('if X, then Y') and loses the 'doesn't matter, still happens' force.
Examples
即使下雨, 我也要去看比赛。
Jíshǐ xiàyǔ, wǒ yě yào qù kàn bǐsài.
Even if it rains, I'm still going to watch the game.
即使没人来, 我也会继续等。
Jíshǐ méi rén lái, wǒ yě huì jìxù děng.
Even if no one comes, I'll keep waiting.
即使工作再忙, 他每天也会陪孩子。
Jíshǐ gōngzuò zài máng, tā měi tiān yě huì péi háizi.
No matter how busy work gets, he spends time with his kids every day.
Common Mistake
Learners use 即使 when the first clause is a real fact, but 即使 specifically signals a hypothetical or extreme case. If the situation actually IS true, use 虽然 instead. Also, learners often forget to add 也 in the result clause.
即使我累了, 我还想去。
即使我很累, 我也想去。
Don't Confuse With
虽然...但是...
虽然 concedes a REAL fact. 即使 concedes a HYPOTHETICAL. 虽然他来了 = 'he did come'; 即使他来了 = 'even if he comes.' If the first clause hasn't actually happened, use 即使.
就算...也...
Same meaning as 即使...也..., colloquial register. 就算 is what you'll hear in casual speech; 即使 is more neutral and works in both speech and writing. Fully interchangeable in meaning.
哪怕...也...
Same meaning, slightly more emotional/emphatic. 哪怕 stresses the smallness or extremity of the concession: '哪怕只有一块钱也帮你' (even if it's just one dollar, I'll help). 即使 is more neutral.
Practice
___ 价格再贵, 我也要买。
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即使
即使我累了, 我 ___ 要去。
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也
Put in order: [即使 / 也 / 失败 / 我 / 试 / 想 / 一次]
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即使会失败, 我也想试一次。
Translate to Chinese: 'Even if everyone laughs at me, I will still try.'
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即使所有人都笑我, 我也要试。
Write one sentence about something you'd do no matter what, using 即使...也....
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Example answer: 即使没人支持, 我也要做这件事。 (Even if no one supports me, I'll still do this.)
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 11 Fluentide episodes:
即使美国队在周日获胜，也不会像半个世纪前那样震惊整个宇宙。
即使这个东西可能不是评价最高的，但也值得试一试。
这些动作即使是对于普通人来说，也是非常困难的。
他用实际行动证明，即使是全明星赛，也要认真对待。
即使是一个坏人，他也可以利用这种技术，把自己变成一个帅哥或者美女。
就算马扎尔赢了，事情也没那么简单。
即使你只靠自己一个人唱，也一样能火。
即使以后要收费，价格也非常便宜。
人们即使在休息的时候，也要表现出一种努力向上的姿态。
即使是人为制造的困难，只要我们赋予其意义，也能带来巨大的满足感
即使这会带来一些家庭矛盾，他们也愿意去沟通和坚持。
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 即使……也…… in real Chinese, not in a textbook.
Fluentide picks the next news episode at your level, so this pattern shows up again and again in real context. The transcript marks it, the audio drills it. Free to start, no card.