就是…也…: even if…still
就是…也… (jiùshì…yě) means even if, setting an extreme case in the first clause and saying the result still holds in the second. Adding 再 as in 就是再…也 pushes the condition further.
Structure: 就是 + extreme hypothetical + 也 + result (still happens)
✅ 就是再难，我也不会放弃。(Even if it gets much harder, I still won't give up.)
✅ 就是下大雪，他也会按时来。(Even if it snows heavily, he'll still come on time.)
Register: 就是…也 is colloquial. More formal written alternatives: 即使…也 / 哪怕…也.
Contrast:
- 就是/也 ≠ 虽然/但是 (虽然 states a KNOWN fact; 就是 presents a hypothetical extreme)
- 就是/也 ≠ 尽管/仍然 (尽管 is formal concession of known facts)
Worked examples
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| 就是下雨，我也要去，这次机会太难得了。 | Jiù shì xià yǔ, wǒ yě yào qù, zhè cì jī huì tài nán dé le. | Even if it rains, I'll still go — this opportunity is too rare. | Minimal 就是/也 frame: extreme weather scenario + firm result |
| 就是工作再忙，他也会抽时间陪家人吃饭。 | Jiù shì gōng zuò zài máng, tā yě huì chōu shí jiān péi jiā rén chī fàn. | Even if work gets busier, he'll still find time to eat with his family. | 再 reinforces the 'even more extreme' degree within 就是 |
| 就是考试失败一百次，我也不会放弃学医的梦想。 | Jiù shì kǎo shì shī bài yī bǎi cì, wǒ yě bù huì fàng qì xué yī de mèng xiǎng. | Even if I fail the exam a hundred times, I won't give up my dream of studying medicine. | Hyperbole (一百次) intensifies the extreme to show absolute resolve |
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.
就是…也 (jiùshì…yě)
Says that even in an extreme case the result stays the same.
Structure: 就是 + extreme case, + subject + 也 + result
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 就是下雪，他也会骑车去上班。 | Jiù shì xià xuě, tā yě huì qí chē qù shàng bān. | Even if it snows, he will cycle to work. |
| 就是你不帮我，我也能做好。 | Jiù shì nǐ bù bāng wǒ, wǒ yě néng zuò hǎo. | Even if you do not help me, I can still do it well. |
| 就是一个人在家，她也每天做饭。 | Jiù shì yí gè rén zài jiā, tā yě měi tiān zuò fàn. | Even when she is home alone, she cooks every day. |
Not: 就是下雨，可是我也去。 Do not add 可是 or 但是. 就是 is paired directly with 也: 就是下雨，我也去.
就是再…也 (jiùshì zài…yě)
Adds 再 so the condition is pushed to an extreme degree.
Structure: 就是再 + adjective, + subject + 也 + result
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 就是再累，我也要把作业写完。 | Jiù shì zài lèi, wǒ yě yào bǎ zuò yè xiě wán. | However tired I am, I will finish the homework. |
| 就是再便宜，我也不买这么旧的。 | Jiù shì zài pián yi, wǒ yě bù mǎi zhè me jiù de. | However cheap it is, I will not buy something this old. |
| 就是再贵，他也要给孩子买。 | Jiù shì zài guì, tā yě yào gěi hái zi mǎi. | However expensive it is, he will buy it for his child. |
Not: 就是再累，我要写完作业。 Do not forget 也 in the second half: 就是再累，我也要写完作业.
也 (yě)
Appears in the second half to say the result still holds in spite of the condition.
Structure: subject + 也 + verb
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 就是明天考试，他也不紧张。 | Jiù shì míng tiān kǎo shì, tā yě bù jǐn zhāng. | Even if the exam is tomorrow, he is not nervous. |
| 就是没有钱，我也想去旅行。 | Jiù shì méi yǒu qián, wǒ yě xiǎng qù lǚ xíng. | Even without money, I still want to travel. |
| 就是朋友劝他，他也不会改变想法。 | Jiù shì péng you quàn tā, tā yě bú huì gǎi biàn xiǎng fǎ. | Even if his friends urge him, he will not change his mind. |
Not: 就是你不去，也我去。 也 goes after the subject: 我也去.
In the official HSK 3.0 grammar outline: level 1, adverbs (关联副词); level 3, fixed patterns.
也 is also explained in: Scope Adverbs: 都 and 也 (HSK 1) · 连…都/也…: even X does Y (HSK 4).
Questions about 就是…也…
What does 就是…也… mean in Chinese?
就是…也… (jiùshì…yě) means even if, setting an extreme case in the first clause and saying the result still holds in the second. Adding 再 as in 就是再…也 pushes the condition further. It is an HSK 4 grammar point.
How do you use 就是…也… in a sentence?
就是下雨，我也要去，这次机会太难得了。 — Jiù shì xià yǔ, wǒ yě yào qù, zhè cì jī huì tài nán dé le. — Even if it rains, I'll still go — this opportunity is too rare. Minimal 就是/也 frame: extreme weather scenario + firm result.
Where does 就是…也… 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.
Is 就是…也 the same as 即使…也?
The meaning is the same. 就是 is colloquial and 即使 or 哪怕 sound more written. In speech you will hear 就是再难，我也要学.
就是…也… 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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