X 即便 / 就算 ... 也 ...
Reach for this when you want to grant a worst-case condition and still hold your ground — 'even if X happens, Y is still true.' It's the concessive conditional: you concede the scenario only to refuse its expected consequence. 就算 is the spoken, everyday version; 即便 sits a notch higher and shows up in essays, op-eds, and news commentary. Both pair with 也 in the second clause to pin down the unchanged result.
Structure
即便 / 就算 [CONCEDED CONDITION]，也 [RESULT THAT STILL HOLDS]
jíbiàn / jiùsuàn... yě...
How to Think About It
Think of 就算 as 'fine, let's say it does happen.' You're handing the listener the worst case on purpose, then using 也 to flip them: even with that conceded, the result doesn't change. Dropping 也 collapses the move — without 也, the sentence reads like a plain 'if,' losing the 'and yet' force that makes this pattern punch.
Examples
就算他不来，我也要把会开完。
Jiùsuàn tā bù lái, wǒ yě yào bǎ huì kāi wán.
Even if he doesn't show up, I'll still finish the meeting.
即便价格再高，这本书也值得买。
Jíbiàn jiàgé zài gāo, zhè běn shū yě zhídé mǎi.
Even if the price were higher, this book would still be worth buying.
就算你不同意，我也会去试一试。
Jiùsuàn nǐ bù tóngyì, wǒ yě huì qù shì yi shì.
Even if you disagree, I'll still go give it a try.
Common Mistake
Learners forget the 也 in the second clause, treating 就算 like a plain 'if.' Without 也, the concession-defiance contrast disappears and the sentence sounds incomplete to natives.
就算下雨，我去。
就算下雨，我也去。
Don't Confuse With
虽然...但是...
虽然 concedes a real fact ('although it IS raining'); 就算 concedes a hypothetical ('even IF it rains'). Pick 虽然 when X is real, 就算 when X is imagined.
即使...也...
Nearly identical meaning to 即便...也. 即使 is the most neutral; 即便 is slightly more formal; 就算 is more colloquial. Pick by register.
无论...都...
无论 sweeps across ALL possibilities ('no matter which'); 就算 picks ONE worst-case condition and concedes it. Use 无论 for a range, 就算 for a single hypothetical.
Practice
___ 政府放出来，也不代表答案出来了。
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就算
就算他道歉了，我 ___ 不会原谅他。
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也
Arrange: 就算 / 失败 / 也 / 我 / 不后悔 / 这次
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就算这次失败，我也不后悔。
Even if it costs more, the quality is worth it.
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即便价格更贵，质量也值得。
Write a sentence using 就算...也... about something you'd do regardless of obstacles.
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就算明天下大雨，我也要去跑步。
Hear It in Real Episodes
This pattern appears in 1 Fluentide episode: