# Dù … cũng: even if / although in Vietnamese (B1)

> Dù means "even if": whatever happens in the first half, the second half still holds.

Source: https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/du-even-if/ · Updated 2026-10-17

**even if / although**

Pattern: `Dù (cho) + [sentence] + thì + [person] + cũng / vẫn + [verb]`

Level: B1 (our estimate) · Register: everyday

Typed without accents: du … cung, ngay ca khi

Variants:

- ngay cả khi (even when)

*Dù* means "even if": whatever happens in the first half, the second half still holds. Put *dù* before the condition, and *cũng* or *vẫn* (still) before the verb of the result: *Dù mai trời mưa, em cũng đi.* Even if it rains tomorrow, I'm going. In speech, *thì* often joins the two halves, and *có* after *dù* adds weight: *Dù có mắc thì em cũng mua.* Even if it's expensive, I'll buy it.

*Dù cho* is a slightly stronger "even if": *Dù cho phải đi bộ, em vẫn đi.* *Ngay cả khi* (even when, even if) sounds more careful and suits work and writing: *Ngay cả khi nghỉ phép, chị ấy vẫn trả lời email.*

With something that is already true, *dù* means "although": *Em vẫn đi làm, dù hơi mệt.* That's the job of *mặc dù*, which has its own page. A possibility after *dù* means "even if"; a fact means "although".

With a question word, *dù* means "no matter": *dù ai nói gì* (no matter what anyone says); that's a separate pattern. And for "even" before one person or thing, use *ngay cả … cũng*: *Ngay cả em cũng biết.*

## A common mistake

✗ Ngay cả nếu trời mưa, em cũng đi.

✓ Dù trời mưa, em cũng đi.

Vietnamese doesn't build "even if" from *ngay cả* and *nếu*. Use *dù*, or *ngay cả khi*.

## Examples

- Dù mai trời mưa, em cũng đi. — Even if it rains tomorrow, I'm still going.
- Saigon: Dù có mắc thì em cũng mua. | Hà Nội: Dù có đắt thì em cũng mua. — Even if it's expensive, I'll buy it.
- Dù cho phải đi bộ, em vẫn đi. — Even if I have to walk, I'm still going.
- Ngay cả khi nghỉ phép, chị ấy vẫn trả lời email. — Even when she's on leave, she still answers emails.

## Compare

- [No matter who, what, how: dù … cũng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/qword-no-matter/): no matter …
- [Although: mặc dù / tuy … nhưng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/mac-du-although/): although
- [Even X: (ngay) cả … cũng](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/ngay-ca-even/): even

Previous in Linking ideas: [Especially: nhất là / đặc biệt là](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/nhat-la-especially/)
Next in Linking ideas: [Even: thậm chí](https://vietnamesebuddy.com/grammar/tham-chi-even/)

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