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Mythic Mandarin

Even if I lose: 就算 and 就是…也

HSK 5 Unit 1: Even if and no matter what · Lesson 3 of 5 · About 26 minutes

Preview version — Chinese review in progress.

Your mission: By the end of this lesson, you can use the spoken forms 就算…也 and 就是…也 for even if, and talk about taking risks and competition.

Warm-up: do you remember?

Two quick questions from earlier lessons. Recalling before you learn makes the new material stick.

  1. Meaning

    What does 表扬 mean?

    1. to pick up
    2. to praise
    3. quietly, secretly
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, to praise.

    表扬 (biǎoyáng) means to praise.

  2. Characters

    Which word means “promise, to promise”?

    1. 悄悄
    2. 承诺
    3. 伤心
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 承诺.

    “promise, to promise” is 承诺 (chéngnuò).

  3. Listening

    From an earlier unit. Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    极 jí

    1. to believe
    2. extremely (…极了)
    3. flavour, taste
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, extremely (…极了).

    You heard 极 (jí): extremely (…极了).

New words

  • 就算jiùsuàneven if (spoken)
  • 失败shībàito fail, failure
  • 输shūto lose (a game)
  • 冒险màoxiǎnto take a risk
  • 值得zhídeto be worth

Spoken even if: 就算 and 就是…也

就算 (jiùsuàn) and 就是 (jiùshì) … 也 mean even if, like 即使 but more spoken.

  • 就算失败了，我也不后悔。

    Jiùsuàn shībài le, wǒ yě bú hòuhuǐ.

    Even if I fail, I won't regret it.

  • 就是输了，也是一次很好的经验。

    Jiù shì shū le, yě shì yí cì hěn hǎo de jīngyàn.

    Even if we lose, it's a good experience.

值得 (zhíde) is to be worth it: 值得一试, worth a try.

  • 这个机会值得冒险。

    Zhège jīhuì zhíde màoxiǎn.

    This chance is worth the risk.

Characters

Open a character to see how it is written, stroke by stroke, with its meanings and words.

The competition

Liu Fang is entering a Chinese speech competition. Mark encourages her.

Listen first

Play the whole conversation and answer the questions before you open the transcript.

Helpful words: 面前 miànqián in front of; 报名 bàomíng to sign up

  1. Listening

    Listen first. Why is Liu Fang worried?

    1. She hasn't prepared.
    2. Everyone else is better; she might lose.
    3. The competition is far away.
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, Everyone else is better; she might lose..

    参加比赛的人都比我厉害.

  2. Listening

    What does Liu Fang decide?

    1. not to go
    2. to wait until next year
    3. to sign up
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, to sign up.

    我去报名.

Show the transcript
Pinyin
Translation

  1. 刘芳

    参加Cānjiā比赛bǐsài的de人rén都dōu比bǐ我wǒ厉害lìhai，我wǒ可能kěnéng会huì输shū。

    Everyone in the competition is better than me. I'll probably lose.

  2. 马克

    就算Jiùsuàn输shū了le，也yě没关系méiguānxi。你Nǐ能néng学到xuédào很hěn多duō东西dōngxi。

    Even if you lose, it doesn't matter. You'll learn a lot.

  3. 刘芳

    可是Kěshì在zài那么nàme多duō人rén面前miànqián说话shuōhuà，我wǒ怕pà失败shībài。

    But I'm afraid of failing in front of so many people.

  4. 马克

    就Jiù是shì失败shībài了le，也yě是shì一yí次cì经验jīngyàn。这Zhè种zhǒng机会jīhuì值得zhíde冒险màoxiǎn。

    Even if you fail, it's experience. This kind of chance is worth the risk.

  5. 刘芳

    你Nǐ说shuō得de对duì。我Wǒ去qù报名bàomíng！

    You're right. I'll sign up!

Speak: listen, record, compare

Listen to each model, record yourself, then play both and compare: the rhythm, the tones, the vowels. No automatic score: your ear is the judge.

  • 就是失败了，也是一次经验。这种机会值得冒险。

    Jiù shì shībài le, yě shì yí cì jīngyàn. Zhè zhǒng jīhuì zhíde màoxiǎn.

    Even if you fail, it's experience. This kind of chance is worth the risk.

  • 就算输了，也没关系。你能学到很多东西。

    Jiùsuàn shū le, yě méiguānxi. Nǐ néng xuédào hěn duō dōngxi.

    Even if you lose, it doesn't matter. You'll learn a lot.

  • 可是在那么多人面前说话，我怕失败。

    Kěshì zài nàme duō rén miànqián shuōhuà, wǒ pà shībài.

    But I'm afraid of failing in front of so many people.

Practice

  1. Meaning

    What does 就算 mean?

    1. here
    2. even if (spoken)
    3. tired
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, even if (spoken).

    就算 (jiùsuàn) means even if (spoken).

  2. Characters

    Which word means “to fail, failure”?

    1. 不管
    2. 失败
    3. 尽力
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 失败.

    “to fail, failure” is 失败 (shībài).

  3. Pinyin

    How do you read 输 (to lose (a game))?

    1. shū
    2. shù
    3. shú
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, shū.

    输 is read shū. Check the tone mark on every syllable.

  4. Listening

    Listen. What does the word mean?

    Cannot listen? Read it instead

    冒险 màoxiǎn

    1. to recall, to remember
    2. to take a risk
    3. to encourage
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, to take a risk.

    You heard 冒险 (màoxiǎn): to take a risk.

  5. Your turn

    Recall: type the Chinese for “to be worth” (characters or pinyin).

    Show the answer

    Answer: 值得

    “to be worth” is 值得 (zhíde).

  6. Grammar

    Which sentence means Even if we lose, it's fine?

    1. 就算输了，就没关系。
    2. 就算没关系，也输了。
    3. 就算输了，也没关系。
    Show the answer

    Answer: C, 就算输了，也没关系。.

    就算输了，也没关系。: 就算…也….

  7. Fill the gap

    Complete: It's worth a try.

    这＿＿一试。

    1. 值得
    2. 冒险
    3. 失败
    Show the answer

    Answer: A, 值得.

    值得一试: worth a try.

  8. In context

    Your team scored less. What happened?

    1. 我们赢了。
    2. 我们输了。
    3. 我们冒险了。
    Show the answer

    Answer: B, 我们输了。.

    我们输了。: 输: to lose.

  9. Your turn

    Type the Chinese for failure

    Show the answer

    Answer: 失败

    失败: failure.

Take the risk

Persuade someone out loud to take a risk, with 就算 and 就是…也.

  1. Say what they are afraid of.
  2. Say why it doesn't matter, with 就算…也.
  3. Say why it is worth it, with 值得.

Sentence frames

  • 就算＿＿，也＿＿。

    Jiùsuàn ＿＿, yě ＿＿.

    Even if ..., ...

Record your attempt (three and a half minutes at most) and listen back:

Review and finish

Can you do this? If a line feels shaky, go back to that part before you move on.

  • I use 就算…也 and 就是…也 in speech.
  • I can talk about risk, failure and what is worth it.

Review works best spaced out: answer these exercises again tomorrow, then after a few days. Your progress is saved in this browser.

Completing records that you finished the lesson. Mastery is separate: it grows as reviews bring the exercises back and you answer them correctly.

Next lesson: Once it starts: 一旦…就