Even if, even when: dù (cho) … thì … cũng, ngay cả khi

even if / although

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

B1 · estimate

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.

Examples

Highlighted words are what Saigon and Hà Nội say differently.

  • 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

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