尽管…还是/仍然…: despite that
尽管 (jǐnguǎn) means despite or even though, conceding a difficulty or fact, and the second clause says the result stays the same. That clause usually carries 还是 or 仍然, both meaning still.
Structure: 尽管 + Clause A (obstacle/concession) + 还是/仍然/依然 + Clause B (persistent result)
✅ 尽管天气很热，他仍然坚持跑步。(Despite the heat, he still runs.)
✅ 尽管大家都劝他，他还是不愿意改变主意。
vs 虽然/但是:
- 虽然/但是 = colloquial, everyday concession
- 尽管/仍然 = more formal/literary, often paired with 还是/仍然/依然 (not 但是)
Contrast with 既然/就: 既然 accepts a fact and draws a logical conclusion; 尽管 concedes an obstacle but asserts persistence.
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 尽管天气很热，他仍然坚持每天跑步。 | Jǐn guǎn tiān qì hěn rè, tā réng rán jiān chí měi tiān pǎo bù. | Despite the hot weather, he still insists on running every day. | Minimal frame: 尽管 + obstacle, 仍然 + persistent action |
| 尽管大家都劝他休息，他还是继续工作。 | Jǐn guǎn dà jiā dōu quàn tā xiū xi, tā hái shì jì xù gōng zuò. | Despite everyone urging him to rest, he still kept working. | 还是 = still (less formal than 仍然); same 尽管 structure |
| 尽管面临很多困难，这个团队仍然保持了乐观积极的态度。 | Jǐn guǎn miàn lín hěn duō kùn nán, zhè gè tuán duì réng rán bǎo chí le lè guān jī jí de tài dù. | Despite facing many difficulties, the team maintained an optimistic and positive attitude. | Formal register throughout: 面临, 乐观积极 — typical of written/literary Chinese |
Word by word
Each word in this pattern on its own: what it does here, the structure, three more examples, and the mistake to avoid.
尽管 (jǐnguǎn)
Concedes a difficulty or fact, then the second clause says the result stays the same.
Structure: 尽管 + difficulty, + 还是/仍然 + result
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 尽管路很远，他每个周末都回家。 | Jǐn guǎn lù hěn yuǎn, tā měi gè zhōu mò dōu huí jiā. | Even though the road is long, he goes home every weekend. |
| 尽管我说了很多次，孩子还是不听。 | Jǐn guǎn wǒ shuō le hěn duō cì, hái zi hái shì bù tīng. | I have said it many times, yet the child still does not listen. |
| 尽管今天很忙，她仍然来参加了朋友的婚礼。 | Jǐn guǎn jīn tiān hěn máng, tā réng rán lái cān jiā le péng you de hūn lǐ. | Although she was busy today, she still came to her friend's wedding. |
Not: 尽管天气不好，所以我们去了。 尽管 pairs with 还是 or 仍然, not 所以: 尽管天气不好，我们还是去了.
还是 (háishi)
Adds "still": the result keeps going in spite of the difficulty.
Structure: 尽管 …, subject + 还是 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 尽管下雨了，我们还是去爬山了。 | Jǐn guǎn xià yǔ le, wǒ men hái shì qù pá shān le. | Although it rained, we still went hiking. |
| 尽管他不喜欢，还是把饭吃完了。 | Jǐn guǎn tā bù xǐ huan, hái shì bǎ fàn chī wán le. | Although he did not like it, he still finished the meal. |
| 尽管价格很高，大家还是愿意买。 | Jǐn guǎn jià gé hěn gāo, dà jiā hái shì yuàn yì mǎi. | Although the price is high, people are still willing to buy. |
Not: 尽管我病了，还是我去上班了。 还是 goes after the subject: 我还是去上班了.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 2, adverbs (语气副词); level 2, conjunctions (连接分句或者句子).
还是 is also explained in: Choice Questions with 还是 (HSK 1).
仍然 (réngrán)
A more formal "still" that stresses nothing has changed.
Structure: 尽管 …, subject + 仍然 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 尽管过了很多年，他仍然记得这件事。 | Jǐn guǎn guò le hěn duō nián, tā réng rán jì de zhè jiàn shì. | Even after many years, he still remembers this. |
| 尽管医生让他休息，他仍然在工作。 | Jǐn guǎn yī shēng ràng tā xiū xi, tā réng rán zài gōng zuò. | Though the doctor told him to rest, he is still working. |
| 尽管失败了几次，她仍然没有放弃。 | Jǐn guǎn shī bài le jǐ cì, tā réng rán méi yǒu fàng qì. | Though she failed several times, she still did not give up. |
Not: 他仍然了坚持。 仍然 is an adverb and goes straight before the verb: 他仍然坚持.
What this opens up
These patterns list 尽管…还是/仍然… among their own prerequisites, so they become readable once this one holds.
Questions about 尽管…还是/仍然…
What does 尽管…还是/仍然… mean in Chinese?
尽管 (jǐnguǎn) means despite or even though, conceding a difficulty or fact, and the second clause says the result stays the same. That clause usually carries 还是 or 仍然, both meaning still. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 尽管…还是/仍然… in a sentence?
尽管天气很热，他仍然坚持每天跑步。 — Jǐn guǎn tiān qì hěn rè, tā réng rán jiān chí měi tiān pǎo bù. — Despite the hot weather, he still insists on running every day. Minimal frame: 尽管 + obstacle, 仍然 + persistent action.
Where does 尽管…还是/仍然… come in the HSK sequence?
HSK 4, and none of its prerequisites are grammar points — nothing else on this reference has to come first, so you can start here.
What does 尽管…还是/仍然… lead to?
Complex Sentences (HSK 5). Each of them names 尽管…还是/仍然… among its own prerequisites.
Can I use 但是 after 尽管?
Use 还是, 仍然 or 依然 instead. 但是 is for 虽然: 虽然很累，但是他去了. 尽管 is a bit more formal than 虽然 and the second half carries "still".
尽管…还是/仍然… is one topic of 829. GraphChinese teaches them in prerequisite order, so this pattern reaches you on the day everything it rests on is proven. The whole course, HSK 0 through HSK 6, is $49 once for lifetime access.
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