儘管 / 尽管
The English phrase 'despite' can be translated into Chinese as 儘管 / 尽管. Wiktionary also lists 不顧 / 不顾 (bùgù) and 不管 (bùguǎn).
Meaning: in spite of (prep)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 儘管 / 尽管 | |
| 不顧 / 不顾 | bùgù |
| 不管 | bùguǎn |
| 任憑 / 任凭 | rènpíng |
| 即使 | jíshǐ |
The term 儘管 / 尽管 is a common way to convey 'despite' in formal writing and conversations. It is used to express 'despite' or 'even though' and is often followed by a clause or a noun phrase.
Which one should you use?
While 儘管 / 尽管 is used for actual facts that are currently happening, 即使 is used for hypothetical 'even if' scenarios. Additionally, 不顧 / 不顾 carries a stronger connotation of 'disregarding' or 'ignoring' a specific consequence, obstacle or opinion.
Did you know?
- The word 儘管 / 尽管 can also function as an adverb meaning 'feel free to' or 'don't hesitate to'. For example, you might say 'Please 儘管 / 尽管 eat' to mean 'Please eat as much as you like'.
- The character 顧 / 顾 in 不顧 / 不顾 originally meant 'to look back' or 'to turn one's head', which gives the phrase its sense of 'not turning one's head back' to look at obstacles.
- The character 管 / 管 in 不管 / 不管 originally referred to a 'bamboo pipe' but evolved to mean 'to manage' or 'to control'.
Examples in context
- 尽管下雨，他还是出门了Despite the rain, he still went out.
- 虽然工作忙，但我会尽力帮助你Despite being busy at work, I will do my best to help you.
- 不管天气有多冷，他总是穿短袖Despite how cold it is, he always wears short sleeves.
- 不管怎样，我还是会爱你Despite everything, I will still love you.
- 即使明天下雨，我们也要去郊游Despite the rain tomorrow, we still want to go on an outing.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “despite” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
