Chinese Contrast with 尽管 (jǐn guǎn) + Noun or Verb-ing
Learn to express contrast using 尽管 (jǐn guǎn) plus a noun or verb phrase, similar to English 'despite' or 'in spite of'. This lesson focuses on prepositional contrast, distinct from the conjunction 虽然 (suī rán).
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In Chinese, you can express contrast with the phrase 尽管 (jǐn guǎn) followed by a noun or a verb phrase. This structure is similar to English 'despite' or 'in spite of' plus a noun or -ing form. For example, 'Despite the rain, we went out' becomes 尽管下雨，我们还是出去了 (jǐn guǎn xià yǔ, wǒ men hái shì chū qù le). Unlike the conjunction 虽然 (suī rán) which introduces a clause, 尽管 (jǐn guǎn) can be followed by a noun or verb phrase, making it a prepositional-like contrast. This lesson will teach you how to use 尽管 (jǐn guǎn) correctly in sentences.
By the end, you can…
- use 尽管 (jǐn guǎn) with a noun to express contrast.
- use 尽管 (jǐn guǎn) with a verb phrase to express contrast.
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尽管下雨，我们还是出去了。
Despite the rain, we still went out.
jǐn guǎn xià yǔ, wǒ men hái shì chū qù le.
Use 尽管 with a verb phrase (下雨, xià yǔ) to mean 'despite the rain'.
尽管很累，他继续工作。
Despite being tired, he continued working.
jǐn guǎn hěn lèi, tā jì xù gōng zuò.
尽管 can be followed by an adjective phrase (很累, hěn lèi) to mean 'despite being tired'.
尽管天气不好，比赛照常进行。
Despite the bad weather, the match went on as usual.
jǐn guǎn tiān qì bù hǎo, bǐ sài zhào cháng jìn xíng.
尽管 with a clause (天气不好, tiān qì bù hǎo) expresses 'despite the bad weather'.
尽管有困难，我们也要完成任务。
Despite the difficulties, we must complete the task.
jǐn guǎn yǒu kùn nan, wǒ men yě yào wán chéng rèn wu.
尽管 can be followed by 有 (yǒu) + noun to mean 'despite having...'.
尽管妈妈反对，她还是嫁给了他。
Despite her mother's opposition, she still married him.
jǐn guǎn mā ma fǎn duì, tā hái shì jià gěi le tā.
尽管 with a clause (妈妈反对, mā ma fǎn duì) shows contrast.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern is: 尽管 + [clause or phrase], + [main clause with 还是/也/仍然]. For example, 尽管下雨，我们还是出去了。 (jǐn guǎn xià yǔ, wǒ men hái shì chū qù le.) 'Despite the rain, we still went out.' The main clause often includes 还是 (hái shì), 也 (yě), or 仍然 (réng rán) to emphasize the contrast. Note that 尽管 is a subordinating conjunction: it is normally followed by a full clause, such as 尽管下雨 (jǐn guǎn xià yǔ), 尽管很累 (jǐn guǎn hěn lèi), or 尽管天气不好 (jǐn guǎn tiān qì bù hǎo). It can also precede a bare noun in fixed, formal expressions like 尽管困难 (jǐn guǎn kùn nan, 'despite difficulties').
When to use it
Use 尽管 when you want to say 'although' or 'even though' something is the case. It is more formal than 虽然 (suī rán) and often used in writing. For example, 尽管天气很冷，他还是去游泳了。 (jǐn guǎn tiān qì hěn lěng, tā hái shì qù yóu yǒng le.) 'Even though the weather was cold, he still went swimming.' Like 虽然, 尽管 introduces a full clause (e.g., 尽管天气很冷，...). The difference is mainly register: 尽管 is more formal and emphatic, while 虽然 is more common in everyday speech. Use it to highlight unexpected outcomes.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
尽管下雨，我们还是决定去公园。
Despite the rain, we still decided to go to the park.jǐn guǎn xià yǔ, wǒ men hái shì jué dìng qù gōng yuán.你们真勇敢！尽管天气不好，我也想去。
You are so brave! Even though the weather is bad, I want to go too.nǐ men zhēn yǒng gǎn! jǐn guǎn tiān qì bù hǎo, wǒ yě xiǎng qù.尽管有风，我们也可以带伞。
Even though it's windy, we can still bring umbrellas.jǐn guǎn yǒu fēng, wǒ men yě kě yǐ dài sǎn.好的，尽管可能会淋湿，我还是要去。
Okay, even though I might get soaked, I still want to go.hǎo de, jǐn guǎn kě néng huì lín shī, wǒ hái shì yào qù.A little context goes a long way
尽管 (jǐn guǎn) is slightly more formal than 虽然 (suī rán) and is common in written Chinese, such as news articles or essays. In casual speech, 虽然 is more frequent. However, 尽管 is perfectly acceptable in spoken Chinese when you want to sound a bit more formal or emphatic. Note that 尽管 can also mean 'feel free to' in some contexts (e.g., 尽管说, jǐn guǎn shuō), but that is a different usage. In this lesson, we focus on its contrast meaning.
One thing to watch for
Using 尽管 (jǐn guǎn) with a bare noun phrase, e.g., *尽管困难，我们也要坚持。 (This is acceptable only in fixed, formal expressions; in everyday speech, use a full clause.)
Try this instead: In everyday speech, 尽管 is followed by a full clause: 尽管有困难，我们也要坚持。 (jǐn guǎn yǒu kùn nan, wǒ men yě yào jiān chí.) 'Even though there are difficulties, we must persist.' 虽然 also requires a full clause: 虽然有困难，但是我们也要坚持。 (suī rán yǒu kùn nan, dàn shì wǒ men yě yào jiān chí.)
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate: 'Despite being very busy, she helped me.'
Show a sample answer
尽管很忙，她还是帮助了我。
尽管 (jǐn guǎn) is followed by the adjective phrase 很忙 (hěn máng), and the main clause uses 还是 (hái shì) to show contrast. Alternatively, 虽然她很忙，但是她还是帮助了我 is also correct but uses a full clause.
2Fill in the blank: ___ 困难，我们也要坚持。 (Despite difficulties, we must persist.)
Show a sample answer
尽管
尽管 (jǐn guǎn) is used before the noun 困难 (kùn nan) to mean 'despite difficulties'. 虽然 would require a clause like 虽然有困难.
3Which is more formal: 尽管 or 虽然?
Show a sample answer
尽管 is more formal.
尽管 (jǐn guǎn) is often used in formal writing, while 虽然 (suī rán) is more common in everyday speech. Both express contrast, but 尽管 is more emphatic and formal.
Use 尽管 (jǐn guǎn) + clause to mean 'although' or 'even though'. Remember to include 还是, 也, or 仍然 in the main clause to emphasize the contrast. 尽管 is more formal than 虽然; in everyday speech, prefer a full clause after 尽管.
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