就算 (jiùsuàn) is an informal way of saying "even if," and is used to introduce a hypothetical statement. However, unlike 即使 , 哪怕 and 就是, 就算 has more of a feeling that the speaker doesn't believe that the hypothetical statement is reasonable or has much chance of being realized.
Structure
就算 + [Hypothetical Statement] + 也 + [Action]
Examples
- 就算你 给 我 一 百 万，我也 不能 帮 你 做 违法 的 事情。 I can't help you to do illegal things even if you gave me one million dollars.
- 就算你 顺利 通过 了 面试，也 不一定 能 被 录用。 Even if you pass the interview successfully, we can't say you are definitely going to be hired.
- 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 员工 会 抱怨，公司也 要 实行 这个 新 政策。 Even if the staff would complaint about it, the company are still going to carry out the new policy.
- 就算你 的 汉语 水平 达到 了 高级，也 还是 会 有 发音 问题。 Even if your Chinese reached a very high level, you would still have trouble with pronunciation.
See also
Sources & further reading