就算...都...

Even If...still...

Level 3Sounds Like zau6 syun3 . . . dou1 . . .

Use 就算 (zau6 syun3) to introduce a hypothetical 'even if' scenario, and almost always pair it with 都 (dou1) in the second clause to mean 'still'.

How It Works

The pattern 就算...都... is a cornerstone of Cantonese logic. It consists of two parts:

1. 就算 (zau6 syun3): This introduces the condition. It can be placed before or after the subject of the first clause (e.g., 就算我... or 我就算...). Literally, it means 'even if you count it as...'.
2. 都 (dou1): This is the usual adverb in the second clause. In Cantonese, 'Even if X, Y' on its own sounds incomplete; you normally say 'Even if X, [Subject] still Y'. The 都 (dou1) must be placed after the subject and before the verb.

Register: This is the standard colloquial way to express 'even if'. In formal written Cantonese, you might see 即使 (zik1 si2), but in speech, 就算 is much more common.

Nuance: This pattern often implies determination or that the condition in the first clause is irrelevant to the speaker's decision or the final outcome.

Examples (4)

  1. 就算聽日落雨，我哋都去行山。

    Even if it rains tomorrow, we will still go hiking.

    Word by Word: Even if tomorrow fall rain, we all go walk mountain.

    Here, 就算 introduces the hypothetical condition (rain), and 都 (dou1) links it to the unchanged plan (hiking).

  2. 就算你畀好多錢佢，佢都唔會做。

    Even if you give him a lot of money, he still won't do it.

    Word by Word: Even if you give very much money him, he all not will do.

    This shows a hypothetical bribe that fails to change the outcome. Note that 畀 (bei2) means 'to give' here.

  3. 就算我係你，我都唔會咁做。

    Even if I were you, I still wouldn't do that.

    Word by Word: Even if I am you, I all not will so do.

    This is a counterfactual hypothetical. Even though I am not you, 'even if' I were, the result is the same.

  4. 就算好攰，佢都堅持做完份功課。

    Even if he is very tired, he still insists on finishing the homework.

    Word by Word: Even if very tired, he all insist do finish CL homework.

    The condition here is a state (being tired). The 完 (jyun4) particle shows the completion of the task.

Common Mistakes

  • Forgetting to include '都' (dou1) in the second clause.

    就算落雨，我去。
    就算落雨，我都去。

    In the ‘even if... still’ pattern, the second clause normally has 都 (dou1). Without it, the ‘still’ meaning is weak and the sentence sounds unfinished.

  • Confusing '就算' (hypothetical) with '雖然' (factual).

    就算今日落緊雨，我都去咗行山。
    雖然今日落緊雨，但我都去咗行山。

    If it is actually raining right now, use 雖然 (seoi1 jin4). Use 就算 only for 'even if' (hypothetical scenarios).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

就算...都...Level 3Even If...still...

Learn This First

To understand '就算...都...' (even if... still...), learners first need to be familiar with the adverb '都' (also/all) which acts as the 'still' or 'nevertheless' marker in the second clause. It is also helpful to have learned basic 'if... then...' conditionals and 'although' structures, as this pattern combines those two logical concepts into a single concessive conditional.

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