就算...也...
Reach for this in casual speech when you want to say 'even if X, still Y.' 就算下雨, 我也去. (Even if it rains, I'm going.) Same meaning as 即使...也..., but more conversational — what you actually say to friends, family, and coworkers. Use it for stubborn promises, brushing off worst cases, or pushing back on someone else's worry.
Structure
就算 [HYPOTHETICAL EXTREME], [SUBJECT] 也 [RESULT]
jiùsuàn... yě...
How to Think About It
就算 is the spoken-Chinese version of 即使. Think of 即使 as essay-Chinese and 就算 as kitchen-table Chinese. The literal feel of 就算 is something like 'just count it as...' — you're hypothetically granting the worst case for the sake of argument, then saying it doesn't matter. Native speakers reach for 就算 first in speech; 即使 first in writing.
Examples
就算明天很冷, 我也要去跑步。
Jiùsuàn míngtiān hěn lěng, wǒ yě yào qù pǎobù.
Even if it's cold tomorrow, I'm still going running.
就算他不来, 我们也开始吧。
Jiùsuàn tā bù lái, wǒmen yě kāishǐ ba.
Even if he doesn't come, let's just start.
就算很忙, 我每天也会给妈妈打电话。
Jiùsuàn hěn máng, wǒ měi tiān yě huì gěi māma dǎ diànhuà.
Even when I'm busy, I still call my mom every day.
就算下雨，我们也要去。
Jiùsuàn xiàyǔ, wǒmen yě yào qù.
Even if it rains, we're still going.
就算他不来，我也不在乎。
Jiùsuàn tā bù lái, wǒ yě bú zàihū.
Even if he doesn't come, I don't care.
就算你给我一百万，我也不卖。
Jiùsuàn nǐ gěi wǒ yī bǎi wàn, wǒ yě bú mài.
Even if you give me a million, I'm not selling.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 也 because the 就算 alone feels like enough. But the 'still happens regardless' meaning rides on 也. Without 也, the second clause sounds like a simple conditional result, not a defiant 'still doing it.'
就算下雨, 我去。
就算下雨, 我也要去。
Don't Confuse With
即使...也...
Identical meaning; 即使 is more formal/written, 就算 is colloquial/spoken. Pick 就算 in conversation, 即使 in essays or business writing. Otherwise interchangeable.
虽然...但是...
虽然 concedes a REAL fact ('he IS tired'). 就算 grants a HYPOTHETICAL ('even if he WERE tired'). If you're already past it happening, use 虽然; if it's a 'what-if', use 就算.
哪怕...也...
Same hypothetical concession with extra emotion. 哪怕只有一个人来我也开心 (even if just ONE person comes, I'm happy) — emphasizes how small the concession is. 就算 is more neutral.
虽然...但是...
Concedes a REAL fact and then contrasts. Use 虽然 when X is true; use 就算 when X is a hypothetical or extreme 'even if.'
即使...也...
Near-synonym, slightly more formal/written. 即使...也 and 就算...也 mean the same thing — pick 就算 for speech and casual writing, 即使 for essays and news commentary.
Practice
___ 你不告诉我, 我也会知道。
Show answer
就算
就算很累, 我 ___ 要做完。
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也
Put in order: [就算 / 也 / 不会 / 错 / 我 / 放弃 / 了]
Show answer
就算错了, 我也不会放弃。
Translate to Chinese: 'Even if it's expensive, I still want to buy it.'
Show answer
就算很贵, 我也要买。
Express one stubborn commitment using 就算...也....
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Example answer: 就算没人陪我, 我也要去旅行。 (Even if no one comes with me, I'm still going to travel.)
Fill in: ___下雨，我们也要去。
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就算
Fill in: 就算他不来，我___不在乎。
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也
Arrange: 也 / 我们 / 下雨 / 就算 / 要去 / ，
Show answer
就算下雨，我们也要去。
Translate: Even if you're right, I still don't agree.
Show answer
就算你对，我也不同意。
Write one sentence using 就算...，也... showing a stance you won't change.
Show answer
就算很难，我也要学下去。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 11 Fluentide episodes. Press play to hear the sentence:
大家还是知道那是一条鳄鱼。
Everyone can still tell it's an alligator.
Florida Man Straps Live Alligator to Car RoofBeginner
事情也不会简单结束。
Things won't simply end.
Orbán Faces Magyar in Hungarian ElectionIntermediate
就算可以请假也不会请。
Even if they can take leave, they won't.
Ctrip Tests 45 Days of No-Reason LeaveElementary
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 就算...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.