Even if / even though… (纵然/纵使)

Structure 纵然/纵使 + extreme supposition，（subject）也 + result

纵然 (zòngrán) and 纵使 (zòngshǐ) set up a concessive hypothesis taken to the extreme: "even if…", "however much…". They are the markedly literary variant of 即使…也… (HSK 4) and 哪怕…也… (HSK 5, more colloquial): they share the structure of closing with 也, but belong to the register of essays, formal speeches and polished prose. They grant an extreme supposition — real or imagined — and assert that the result holds anyway: 纵然困难重重，他也从未放弃 = "even though obstacles piled up, he never gave up".

Examples

纵zòng然rán困kùn难nán重chóng重chóng，他tā也yě从cóng未wèi放fàng弃qì。
Even though obstacles piled up, he never once gave up.
纵zòng使shǐ前qián路lù漫màn漫màn，我wǒ们men也yě要yào坚jiān定dìng地de走zǒu下xià去qù。
However long the road ahead, we will press on resolutely.
纵zòng然rán天tiān赋fù过guò人rén，不bù肯kěn努nǔ力lì也yě难nán有yǒu成chéng就jiù。
However exceptional one's talent, without effort little can be achieved.
纵zòng使shǐ全quán世shì界jiè都dōu反fǎn对duì，她tā也yě坚jiān持chí自zì己jǐ的de信xìn念niàn。
Even if the whole world were against her, she would hold to her convictions.

Levels are indicative: they follow the standard Chinese Grammar Wiki (AllSet Learning) progression, not an official HSK 3.0 mapping. We never assign levels by eye.

This point and the other 370, with audio on every example, inside Wanyu.