chiar dacă

Even if

Level 4

Chiar dacă is the standard Romanian conjunction for 'even if' or 'even though'. It introduces a condition or fact that does not change the outcome of the main clause.

How It Works

Even if and even though
Chiar dacă introduces a circumstance that does not prevent the main result. It can be hypothetical: Chiar dacă plouă mâine, venim (“Even if it rains tomorrow, we are coming”). It can also concern a fact: Chiar dacă a plouat, am ieșit (“Even though it rained, we went out”). Context supplies the reading.

Mood choice
The indicative presents a fact or an open possibility. The conditional can make the situation more hypothetical: Chiar dacă ar ploua, aș veni. Do not infer that mixed moods are automatically wrong: Chiar dacă plouă, aș veni is possible in an appropriate context.

Related connectors
Deși commonly introduces a factual concession, but it is not categorically limited to the indicative. Cu toate că also introduces concession. The shorter chiar de can occur in marked or literary usage.

Separate the concessive clause from the main clause with a comma in these examples: Chiar dacă este târziu, plecăm.

Examples (5)

  1. Voi veni la tine, chiar dacă termin târziu.

    I will come to you, even if I finish late.

    Word by Word: I will come to you, even if I finish late.

    Here, the indicative 'termin' is used because finishing late is a realistic possibility.

  2. Chiar dacă a fost greu, am terminat proiectul la timp.

    Even though it was hard, I finished the project on time.

    Word by Word: Even if it has been hard, I have finished project-the at time.

    This demonstrates 'chiar dacă' used for a factual past event, similar to deși.

  3. Chiar dacă aș avea bani, nu aș cumpăra asta.

    Even if I had money, I wouldn't buy that.

    Word by Word: Even if I would have money, not I would buy that.

    The present conditional (aș avea) is used here for a hypothetical, counterfactual situation.

  4. Ea tot nu mă crede, chiar dacă îi spun adevărul.

    She still doesn't believe me, even if I tell her the truth.

    Word by Word: She still not me believes, even if to-her I tell truth-the.

    Notice the use of tot in the main clause to emphasize the lack of change in her belief.

  5. Chiar dacă pleci acum, tot vei întârzia.

    Even if you leave now, you will still be late.

    Word by Word: Even if you leave now, still you will late.

    This shows a likely future scenario using the indicative 'pleci'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the present form after conditional ar.

    Chiar dacă ar plouă, aș veni.
    Chiar dacă ar ploua, aș veni.

    Ar takes the short infinitive ploua, without the infinitive marker a. Plouă is a present-tense form.

How It Connects

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

chiar dacăLevel 4Even if

Learn This First

Recognize the conditional meaning of dacă before adding the concessive force of chiar. Contrast even-if conditions with an asserted concession introduced by deși.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

chiar dacăchiardacă