jí shǐ
even if
即使他很忙，他还是抽出时间来帮助我。
Jí sù tā hěn máng, tā hái shī chū qū shí jiān lái bāng zhù wǒ.
Even though he was very busy, he still took the time to help me.
即使我知道这是错的，我还是做了。
Jí sù wǒ zhī dào zhè shì cuò de, wǒ hái shì zuò le.
Even though I knew it was wrong, I still did it.
即使你很努力，也不一定能成功。
Jí sù nǐ hěn nǔ lì, yě bù yī dìng néng chéng gōng.
Even if you work very hard, it doesn't necessarily mean you will succeed.
除非 (chúfēi)
unless
否则 (fǒuzé)
otherwise
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The Chinese word 即使 (jì sù) is composed of two characters: 即 (jí) and 使 (shǐ). The character 即 means "immediately" or "at once", while the character 使 means "to cause" or "to make". Together, the two characters 即使 mean "even if" or "even though".The word 即使 is often used in conditional sentences to express a hypothetical situation. For example, the sentence 即使下雨了，我们也要去公园 (jì sù xià yǔ le, wǒ men yě yào qù gōng yuán) means "Even if it rains, we will still go to the park". In this sentence, the word 即使 is used to express the hypothetical situation of it raining.The word 即使 can also be used in concessive sentences to express a contrast between two situations. For example, the sentence 即使他很穷，但他很幸福 (jì sù tā hěn qióng, dàn tā hěn xìng fú) means "Even though he is very poor, he is very happy". In this sentence, the word 即使 is used to express the contrast between the two situations of being poor and being happy.The word 即使 is a versatile word that can be used in a variety of contexts. It is an important word for HSK learners to know, as it is used frequently in both spoken and written Chinese.
