Even though vs Even if - English In A Minute

Hi, I'm Phil from BBC Learning English.

Today, I'm going to tell you the difference between

'even though' and 'even if'.

Now, we use them both for emphasis

but they don't mean the same.

We use 'even though' to introduce something that's true,

but might be a little bit unexpected.

It's a bit like 'despite'.

Even though I hate driving,

I'm still going to Scotland by car.

Even though I hate tennis,

I'm still going to watch the final.

We use 'even if' to introduce something hypothetical,

so it might not be real.

Even if it's sunny when we're in Scotland,

I'm not going swimming.

Even if you paid me, I wouldn't watch that film.

So, 'even though' is for things that are true

but unexpected,

and 'even if' is for things that are hypothetical,

so they might not be real.

Even though they look the same,

they are different – even if you didn't notice at first!