How to use 就算…也
就算 + hypothetical condition，subject + 也 + unchanged result
就算 grants a possibility for the sake of discussion and then shows that the conclusion still stands. The speaker may sound unconvinced, defiant, reassuring, or simply practical, depending on the context. It often resembles even assuming that in English. Although the imagined situation may be unlikely, the construction does not grammatically require the speaker to think it impossible.
Place 也 in the result clause to express what remains true under that assumption. A following rhetorical question can instead challenge whether the assumption matters. With 再 before an adjective, the first clause can stretch the possible degree of a quality. Keep the concession and the unaffected response logically connected so the speaker's point is clear.
Examples with pinyin and English
就算你不想听，我也要说。
Even if you don't want to listen, I still need to say it.
就算你说的都是真的，我们也没办法证明。
Even if what you say is true, we still don't have any way to prove it.
就算会失败，我也不后悔。
Even if I fail, I won't regret it.
就算他说他请客，我也要买单。
Even if he says it's his treat, I'm still going to pay.
What to remember
- Use 就算 to grant a possibility temporarily.
- State the unaffected response with 也.
- Treat doubt as a contextual tone rather than a fixed rule.
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Source and editorial notes
Explanation rewritten for Laowai. Examples are adapted from the Laowai English grammar curriculum, with editorial corrections where needed. The original curriculum credits AllSet Learning’s Chinese Grammar Wiki as used with permission. Read the retained source credits.
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