The Chinese phrase "即使...也..." (jíshǐ... yě...)

 The Chinese phrase "即使...也..." (jíshǐ... yě...) is a common and versatile construction used to express concession or a hypothetical condition with an unchanging outcome. It translates to "even if... still..." or "even though... still...".

It indicates that despite a certain hypothetical or extreme condition (stated in the first clause with 即使), the result or situation (stated in the second clause with 也) remains unchanged or still occurs.

Structure:

即使 + [condition/supposition] + ，也 + [unchanging outcome/result]

• 即使 (jíshǐ): Means "even if," "even though," "even supposing," "no matter how." It introduces the hypothetical or concessive clause.
• 也 (yě): Means "still," "also," "too." It introduces the main clause that expresses the unchanging outcome. Other adverbs like 还 (hái), 总 (zǒng), or 仍然 (réngrán) can sometimes be used in place of or in addition to 也 to emphasize "still" or "always."

Main Usages and Examples:

1. Expressing a hypothetical situation with an unchanging outcome:

This is the most frequent use. It suggests that even if a certain situation were to occur (or exists), the result in the second clause would not change.

• 即使明天下雨，我也要去。

  (Jíshǐ míngtiān xiàyǔ, wǒ yě yào qù.)

  Even if it rains tomorrow, I'm still going. (The rain won't stop me.)

• 即使你不同意，我也要做。

  (Jíshǐ nǐ bù tóngyì, wǒ yě yào zuò.)

  Even if you don't agree, I'm still going to do it.

• 即使再忙，我也要抽出时间锻炼身体。

  (Jíshǐ zài máng, wǒ yě yào chōuchū shíjiān duànliàn shēntǐ.)

  Even if I'm extremely busy, I still have to make time to exercise.

• 即使她现在很穷，我也要嫁给她。

  (Jíshǐ tā xiànzài hěn qióng, wǒ yě yào jià gěi tā.)

  Even if she's poor now, I still want to marry her.

• 即使失败了，我们也不能放弃。

  (Jíshǐ shībài le, wǒmen yě bù néng fàngqì.)

  Even if we fail, we still cannot give up.

2. Emphasizing an extreme condition with a consistent result:

This usage often involves an extreme or challenging condition, highlighting the steadfastness of the outcome.

• 即使遇到再大的困难，我们也要克服。

  (Jíshǐ yùdào zài dà de kùnnan, wǒmen yě yào kèfú.)

  Even if we encounter the greatest difficulties, we still must overcome them.

• 即使是冬天，这里的湖面也不会结冰。

  (Jíshǐ shì dōngtiān, zhèlǐ de húmiàn yě bù huì jiébīng.)

  Even in winter, the lake surface here will not freeze.

• 即使全世界都反对我，我也要坚持我的梦想。

  (Jíshǐ quán shìjiè dōu fǎnduì wǒ, wǒ yě yào jiānchí wǒ de mèngxiǎng.)

  Even if the whole world opposes me, I still want to stick to my dream.

Important Notes:

• Hypothetical Nature: The clause after 即使 must be hypothetical or concessive. It describes a situation that might happen, might be true, or that you are willing to concede for the sake of argument.

• Contrast with 雖然...但是... (suīrán... dànshì...):

  • 即使...也... introduces a hypothetical or concessive situation that does not affect the outcome. It's often about "even if X, then Y."
  • 雖然...但是... introduces an actual fact or situation, followed by a contrasting but related outcome. It's "although X, but Y."

  Example:

  • 即使下雨，我也要去。 (Hypothetical: It might rain, it might not. But if it does, I'm still going.)
  • 虽然下雨了，但是我还是去了。 (Actual: It rained, but I still went.)

• Alternatives:

  • 即便...也... (jíbiàn... yě...) is a close synonym and often interchangeable with 即使...也.... It tends to be slightly more formal or literary.
  • 哪怕...也... (nǎpà... yě...) is another synonym, often used in spoken Chinese and can carry a stronger sense of "even if it's the worst case scenario."

By understanding "即使...也...", you can express complex conditional relationships and strong resolutions in your Chinese sentences.