<blockquote>
<p>连朋友都没告诉过 = Had not told even his friends</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>即便(是)朋友也没有告诉过(他们) =  Even though they (are) his friends, he had not told (them)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Notice:</p>
<p>即便 means &quot;even though&quot; or &quot;even if&quot;</p>
<p>There's a verb &quot;是&quot; (being) in &quot;是朋友&quot; (being friends)</p>
<p>More example:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>连他父母也不知道他是同性恋 = Even his parents don't know he is gay</p>
<p>即便(是他父母)也不知道他是同性恋 = Even though (they are his parent), they don't know he is gay</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Example of 即便:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>即便(有)朋友也不能告诉(他们) = Even if/ even though he (has) friends, he can't tell (them)</p>
</blockquote>
<p>~</p>
<blockquote>
<p>即便全国警察都来了也救不了死去的人质了 (Even if) the police of the whole country were here, the dead hostages could not be saved.</p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-15T04:31:09.550Z
2019-12-16T05:05:52.020Z
2020-06-17T09:50:11.587Z
Tang Ho
<p>Comparing <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/36113/8099">Toosky Hierot's answer</a> to my original attempt in <a href="https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/36111/writing-critique-request-zhou-ziwang-loses-weight-just-like-everyone-else-nowa">Writing critique request: Zhou Ziwang loses weight, just like everyone else nowadays</a>, we have:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>me: ...<strong>连</strong>朋友<strong>都</strong>没告诉过...<br>
  Toosky Hierot: ...<strong>即便</strong>是朋友<strong>也</strong>没有告诉过...</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I think both mean:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Even [my] friends, [I] did not tell.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>I'm not sure if there's any difference here, aside from perhaps writing style.  We've opted for different grammar constructs: <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22even%22_with_%22lian%22_and_%22dou%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">连...都...</a> vs. 即便...也... which I think is the same as <a href="https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22even_if%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22jishi%22" rel="nofollow noreferrer">即使...也...</a> (which seems to necessitate the 是).</p>

<p><strong>Question</strong>: Is there a difference between 连朋友都没告诉过 and 即便是朋友也没有告诉过?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-12-15T03:45:05.323Z
Quite the same with small difference. In fact, I even prefer 连……都……here now.
Toosky Hierot
<difference>
Is there a difference between 连朋友都没告诉过 and 即便是朋友也没有告诉过?
# Is there a difference between 连朋友都没告诉过 and 即便是朋友也没有告诉过?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-12-15)

Comparing [username_1's answer](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/a/36113/8099) to my original attempt in [Writing critique request: Zhou Ziwang loses weight, just like everyone else nowadays](https://chinese.stackexchange.com/questions/36111/writing-critique-request-zhou-ziwang-loses-weight-just-like-everyone-else-nowa), we have:

> me: ...**连**朋友**都**没告诉过...  
> username_1: ...**即便**是朋友**也**没有告诉过...

I think both mean:

> Even [my] friends, [I] did not tell.

I'm not sure if there's any difference here, aside from perhaps writing style. We've opted for different grammar constructs: [连...都...](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22even%22_with_%22lian%22_and_%22dou%22) vs. 即便...也... which I think is the same as [即使...也...](https://resources.allsetlearning.com/chinese/grammar/Expressing_%22even_if%E2%80%A6%22_with_%22jishi%22) (which seems to necessitate the 是).

**Question**: Is there a difference between 连朋友都没告诉过 and 即便是朋友也没有告诉过?

**Tags:** difference

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Quite the same with small difference. In fact, I even prefer 连……都……here now.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-12-15. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

> 连朋友都没告诉过 = Had not told even his friends

~

> 即便(是)朋友也没有告诉过(他们) = Even though they (are) his friends, he had not told (them)

Notice:

即便 means "even though" or "even if"

There's a verb "是" (being) in "是朋友" (being friends)

More example:

> 连他父母也不知道他是同性恋 = Even his parents don't know he is gay
>
> 即便(是他父母)也不知道他是同性恋 = Even though (they are his parent), they don't know he is gay

Example of 即便:

> 即便(有)朋友也不能告诉(他们) = Even if/ even though he (has) friends, he can't tell (them)

~

> 即便全国警察都来了也救不了死去的人质了 (Even if) the police of the whole country were here, the dead hostages could not be saved.


---

