即使... 也/还...
Reach for this when you want to grant a hypothetical extreme and insist the outcome holds anyway — 'even if X, still Y.' A concession pattern that argues 'no matter how far the condition goes, my point survives.' Used in promises ('even if it rains, I'll come'), determination ('even if it takes years, I'll finish'), and counterfactual reasoning ('even if you had asked, I would have refused'). Moderately formal — fits writing, news, and considered speech.
Structure
即使 + [hypothetical condition], (Subject) + 也/还 + [result].
jíshǐ ... yě / hái
How to Think About It
即使 says 'let's imagine the most extreme version of this — and still.' The 也 or 还 in the second clause locks in 'the outcome doesn't change.' Unlike 如果 ('if' — neutral condition) or 虽然 ('although' — real fact), 即使 deals with hypothetical concession: a condition you're entertaining for argument's sake, often one you think is unlikely or unfair. The pattern carries quiet determination.
Examples
即使下大雨，我也要去看比赛。
Jíshǐ xià dàyǔ, wǒ yě yào qù kàn bǐsài.
Even if it pours, I'm still going to watch the match.
即使再忙，他也会陪孩子吃晚饭。
Jíshǐ zài máng, tā yě huì péi háizi chī wǎnfàn.
No matter how busy he is, he still has dinner with his kids.
即使你不同意，我还是要试一试。
Jíshǐ nǐ bù tóngyì, wǒ háishi yào shì yi shì.
Even if you don't agree, I'm still going to try.
即使失败了，我也不会后悔。
Jíshǐ shībài le, wǒ yě bú huì hòuhuǐ.
Even if I fail, I won't regret it.
Common Mistake
Learners forget the 也 or 还 in the second clause and the sentence loses its anchor. The 也/还 is what tells the listener 'the outcome holds anyway' — without it, the concession floats unconnected.
即使下雨，我去。
即使下雨，我也去。
Don't Confuse With
虽然...但是...
'Although...but...' — concedes a real, actual fact. 即使 concedes a hypothetical or extreme case. Use 虽然 for what is, 即使 for what might be.
就算...也...
Near-synonym of 即使...也..., but more spoken/casual. Same meaning; pick 就算 in conversation and 即使 in writing or formal speech.
哪怕...也...
'Even if (the smallest case)...' — emphasizes the minimum extreme. 即使 ranges over any hypothetical; 哪怕 zooms in on the tiniest threshold.
Practice
Fill in: ____很累，我____要完成这个项目。
Show answer
即使, 也
Translate to Chinese: Even if it's expensive, I'll still buy it.
Show answer
即使很贵，我也要买。
Arrange: 即使 / 也 / 不 / 听 / 他 / 说 / 我 / 的话
Show answer
即使我说，他也不听。
Use 即使...也... to express determination in the face of a difficulty.
Show answer
即使路很远，我也要走过去。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode:
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 即使... 也/还... 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.