甚至...
Reach for 甚至 when you want to push an example past what the listener expected — 'and even...' It introduces a surprising extreme that strengthens the point already on the table. You'll hear it in news writing, opinion pieces, and persuasive speech, often after a list or a softer claim, where the speaker wants to land one final escalating example. Position it before the verb or noun that carries the extreme, or use it to launch a whole clause.
Structure
..., [SUBJECT] 甚至 [VERB / EXTREME ITEM]
shènzhì...
How to Think About It
甚至 is the escalator step at the end of an argument. The earlier part of the sentence sets the baseline ('he reads a lot'); 甚至 then jumps one level past it ('— he even reads in the bathtub'). It works alongside 都, 也, or 还 in many sentences for extra punch (甚至连...都...). Unlike 连...都..., which fronts the extreme as the topic of the whole sentence, 甚至 stitches the extreme onto a sentence that's already in motion.
Examples
他甚至连自己的名字都忘了。
Tā shènzhì lián zìjǐ de míngzì dōu wàng le.
He even forgot his own name.
甚至小孩子都看得懂这部电影。
Shènzhì xiǎo háizi dōu kàn de dǒng zhè bù diànyǐng.
Even small children can understand this movie.
她忙得甚至饭都没吃。
Tā máng de shènzhì fàn dōu méi chī.
She was so busy she didn't even eat.
他每天都很忙，甚至周末也要工作。
Tā měitiān dōu hěn máng, shènzhì zhōumò yě yào gōngzuò.
He's busy every day; he even has to work on weekends.
这部电影非常受欢迎，甚至打破了票房纪录。
Zhè bù diànyǐng fēicháng shòu huānyíng, shènzhì dǎpò le piàofáng jìlù.
This movie is extremely popular — it even broke the box office record.
他很喜欢中国菜，甚至学会了自己做饺子。
Tā hěn xǐhuan Zhōngguó cài, shènzhì xuéhuì le zìjǐ zuò jiǎozi.
He loves Chinese food so much he's even learned to make dumplings himself.
他太忙了，甚至连饭都没吃。
Tā tài máng le, shènzhì lián fàn dōu méi chī.
He was so busy he didn't even eat.
很多年轻人不看新闻，甚至不知道总统是谁。
Hěnduō niánqīng rén bù kàn xīnwén, shènzhì bù zhīdào zǒngtǒng shì shéi.
Common Mistake
Learners drop 甚至 at the front of a sentence by itself like English 'Even...' Chinese 甚至 normally extends a previous clause and prefers to attach inside the second part, not stand alone as the sentence opener. When you do open with it, you need a context the listener already shares.
甚至我不喜欢吃肉。
我不太爱吃肉，甚至完全不吃。
Don't Confuse With
连...都...
Very close in meaning — 'even X also...' 连 is more casual and often used in spoken language; 甚至 is more formal and frequently appears in writing. Both work, but 连 tends to express more emotional shock.
包括...也...
'Including X, also...' — neutral inclusion, no surprise. Use 包括 when you're just listing; use 甚至...都... when you want the extreme-case dramatic flair.
不仅...而且...
'Not only X, but also Y' — adds a second item rather than spotlighting an extreme case. Use 不仅 to expand a list; use 甚至 to escalate it.
连...都...
Use 连...都... when the extreme example is the topic of the sentence. 甚至 adds an extreme as an extension after an earlier statement.
而且 / 并且
Use 而且 to add normal information ('and also'). 甚至 specifically pushes to a surprising or extreme example.
Practice
他 ___ 早饭都没吃。
Show answer
甚至
甚至老板 ___ 来了。
Show answer
都
Put in order: [都 / 甚至 / 名字 / 他 / 忘了 / 我的]
Show answer
他甚至我的名字都忘了。
Translate to Chinese: 'He was so tired he didn't even want to talk.'
Show answer
他累得甚至话都不想说。
Write one sentence using 甚至...都... to dramatize an extreme case.
Show answer
Example answer: 这部电影太感人, 甚至我爸爸都哭了。 (This movie is so moving — even my dad cried.)
Fill in the blank: 她中文说得很好，___ 比我还好。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 6 Fluentide episodes:
甚至有人会因为MBTI决定要不要继续约会。
中文在线甚至直接触及了百分之二十的涨停板。
很多普通的建筑项目甚至因此被迫停工。
Related Grammar Patterns
Acquire by listening
Hear 甚至... 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.