甚至 (shènzhì) — even; so much so that

甚至 (shènzhì)

甚至 is used to present an extreme example that exceeds what has just been stated, adding emphasis to the degree or extent of something.

Meanings

1. [adverb/conjunction] even; even to the point that; so much so that

Example Sentences

他学习非常努力，甚至周末也不休息。 Tā xuéxí fēicháng nǔlì, shènzhì zhōumò yě bù xiūxi. He studies very hard -- he even skips rest on weekends.

这道题太难了，甚至老师也做不出来。 Zhè dào tí tài nán le, shènzhì lǎoshī yě zuò bu chūlái. This problem is so difficult that even the teacher cannot solve it.

天气太冷，甚至河面都结冰了。 Tiānqì tài lěng, shènzhì hémiàn dōu jiébīng le. The weather was so cold that even the river surface froze.

她喜欢读书，甚至吃饭时也拿着书。 Tā xǐhuān dúshū, shènzhì chīfàn shí yě ná zhe shū. She loves reading so much that she even holds a book while eating.

空气污染越来越严重，甚至影响到了儿童的健康。 Kōngqì wūrǎn yuèlái yuè yánzhòng, shènzhì yǐngxiǎng dào le értóng de jiànkāng. Air pollution is getting worse and worse, even affecting children's health.

那场演讲非常精彩，甚至让反对者也改变了看法。 Nà chǎng yǎnjiǎng fēicháng jīngcǎi, shènzhì ràng fǎnduìzhě yě gǎibiàn le kànfǎ. That speech was so impressive that even opponents changed their views.

Collocations

Usage Notes

甚至 introduces a clause or noun phrase that represents an extreme or surprising case that goes beyond what was previously mentioned. It can appear before a noun, verb phrase, or clause. When paired with 连...也/都, the emphasis is further strengthened: 甚至连他都不知道 means "even he didn't know."

甚至 differs from 即使 (jíshǐ, meaning "even if") in that 甚至 presents a real, factual extreme situation, not a hypothetical one. It is common in both spoken and written Chinese and is considered a neutral, versatile connector.

Memory Hook

甚 means "very/extreme" and 至 means "to reach" -- it reaches even the extreme case.