HSKReadyGet the appHSK 7-9 · Sentence types › Single-level complex sentences › Hypothetical clauses
纵然/纵使……，也……：Expressing Concession in Chinese
纵然……，也…… and 纵使……，也…… link a difficult, possible, or conceded situation to a result that remains true. Both are formal expressions; the second clause states what still happens or should happen despite the first clause.
纵然期限已经缩短，团队也没有降低核查标准。
Correct: the shortened deadline is an obstacle, but the team maintains its standard.
Read the full explanation and examples
Meaning: the result still holds
This pattern presents the first clause as a condition, possibility, or obstacle and says that it does not prevent the second-clause result. In English, it often corresponds to “even if …, still …” or “even though …, still ….” The result may be an event, a conclusion, or an expectation about what someone should do.
纵然期限已经缩短，团队也没有降低核查标准。
Correct: the shortened deadline is an obstacle, but the team maintains its standard.
The example acknowledges a real constraint, then stresses that the standard remains unchanged. The first clause does not cause the result; it supplies a circumstance that might have been expected to change it.
Formation and word choice
Start with 纵然 or 纵使 and the conceded or hypothetical situation. In the main clause, a stated subject normally precedes 也: 团队也没有……, 大家也能…… . If the subject is clear, it can be omitted, as in 也应先…… . Do not read the frame as 也 followed by a complete new subject-and-predicate clause. 也 marks that the predicate still applies despite the first situation.
纵然 and 纵使 are close in meaning and can both introduce the concession in this pattern. They are more formal or written in tone than everyday choices such as 即使. Do not treat them as wholly interchangeable in every register: use them when a measured, formal tone fits, and retain the pattern’s “even if/even though, still” relationship.
纵使项目成员分散在不同城市，大家也能通过共享记录保持信息同步。
Correct: the distance does not prevent the stated coordination.
Choosing a situation and result
The first clause can describe a circumstance that is already true, a possible future condition, or an obstacle. The second clause should be a meaningful response or outcome that remains valid under that circumstance. It can state what actually happens, what someone can do, or what ought to be done.
纵然这项研究的样本数量有限，它也为后续讨论提供了有价值的线索。
Correct: the limitation does not erase the study’s usefulness.
纵使会议持续到很晚，主持人也不会仓促作出结论。
Correct: the late hour does not justify a rushed conclusion.
Contrast with a plain condition
A plain condition says that an outcome depends on a condition. This pattern instead foregrounds that the outcome holds in spite of the condition. Compare the intended logic before choosing a connector: if the first clause is a reason the second clause occurs, use a causal construction; if it is an obstacle or concession that does not change the result, 纵然/纵使……，也…… is appropriate.
纵然双方对证据的解释不同，也应先把各自的依据说清楚。
Correct: a difference in interpretation does not remove the need to explain the evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Can the first clause describe something that is already true?
Yes. It can describe a conceded fact as well as a possible or hypothetical circumstance. The second clause presents the result that still holds.
Are 纵然 and 纵使 everyday conversational choices?
They are generally more formal or written in tone. In a casual conversation, a more common connector may sound more natural, while this pattern suits a formal explanation or considered statement.
Does the pattern make a question?
The pattern itself expresses concession, not a question. A speaker could place it in a larger question for a particular purpose, but the two clauses alone do not form an interrogative sentence.
