Learn Hardcore Chinese: Wèile jiànkāng, yīshēng shuō wǒmen jíshǐ máng yě bù néng fàngqì chī zǎofàn de xíguàn. - For the sake of our health, the doctor said that even if we’re busy we must not give up the habit of eating breakfast.

Version 1 (original): Emphasizes the purpose first, then what the doctor said.
Version 1 alt: Emphasizes the doctor said, then adds for health as a reason.
Version 2: Embeds the purpose directly inside what we must do.

All would be understood the same in everyday conversation.

What does the pattern 即使…也… (jíshǐ… yě…) mean, and how is it used?

即使…也… is a fixed concessive pattern meaning “even if / even though … still …”

Structure:

即使 + condition，(subject) + 也 + result

In this sentence:

即使忙 = even if (we are) busy
也不能放弃吃早饭的习惯 = still must not give up the habit of eating breakfast

So:
即使忙，也不能… = even if (we are) busy, we still must not…

You can use it with many conditions:

即使下雨，我们也要去。
Even if it rains, we still have to go.
即使很贵，他也想买。
Even if it’s expensive, he still wants to buy it.

Is 也 always required in the 即使…也… pattern? Can it be left out?

In standard grammar, 也 is part of the pattern and is usually expected:

即使…也… = even if … still …

In fast, casual speech, native speakers sometimes drop 也, especially if tone and context are clear:

即使很忙，不能放弃吃早饭的习惯。 (colloquial, but acceptable)

However:

Including 也 makes the structure clearer and more natural for learners.
In writing or more careful speech, you should keep 也.

Why is it 即使忙 and not 即使很忙? When should I add 很 before adjectives like 忙?

Both are possible; they are slightly different:

即使忙 – general “even if (we are) busy”
即使很忙 – “even if (we are) very busy”

In Chinese, when an adjective is used as a simple predicate, you often see a “linking 很”:

我很忙。 = I am busy. (很 doesn’t always mean very here)

But in short clauses like 即使忙, dropping 很 is common and natural, especially when:

The adjective is short and frequent (忙, 累, 饿, etc.)
The clause is a condition rather than a full statement

You could also say:

即使我们很忙，也不能放弃吃早饭的习惯。
This is very natural too; it just slightly emphasizes the degree (very busy).

Why is it 不能 (bùnéng) and not just 不 or 不要? What nuance does 不能 add?

Key differences:

不 + verb: simply “not / don’t”
不能 + verb: “cannot / must not / should not” (because of rules, possibility, health, etc.)
不要 + verb: “don’t (do something)” – direct command

Here:

不能放弃 = must not / should not give up
The doctor is giving a strong recommendation or prohibition based on health.

Comparisons:

不放弃吃早饭的习惯。
= (We) do not give up the habit of eating breakfast. (statement, not advice)
不要放弃吃早饭的习惯。
= Don’t give up the habit of eating breakfast. (direct command)

So 不能 fits well because it sounds like a rule or health guideline:
Even if we are busy, we must not (are not allowed to) give up this habit.

How is 放弃吃早饭的习惯 structured grammatically?

Breakdown:

放弃 (fàngqì) = to give up / abandon
吃早饭的习惯 = the habit of eating breakfast

Inside 吃早饭的习惯:

吃早饭 = eat breakfast
的 turns 吃早饭 into a modifier of 习惯
习惯 = habit

Pattern: [verb phrase] + 的 + [noun]

Examples:

抽烟的习惯 = the habit of smoking
吃零食的习惯 = the habit of eating snacks
晚睡的习惯 = the habit of going to bed late

So 放弃吃早饭的习惯 literally = give up the habit of eating breakfast.

Why do we need 的 before 习惯? Can we say 放弃吃早饭习惯?

You need 的 here.

Structure is: (modifier) + 的 + noun.
Here, 吃早饭 is a verb phrase modifying 习惯, so it must use 的:

✅ 吃早饭的习惯
❌ 吃早饭习惯 (ungrammatical / sounds wrong)

General rule:

Adjective + 的 + noun: 好的习惯 (good habit)
Verb/verb phrase + 的 + noun: 他昨天买的书 (the book he bought yesterday)

Some fixed phrases drop 的, but 吃早饭习惯 is not one of them.

Could we just say 放弃早饭 or 不吃早饭 instead of 放弃吃早饭的习惯?

Yes, but the meaning changes slightly:

不吃早饭 = not eat breakfast
- Describes the action of skipping breakfast.
- Example: 很多人上班前不吃早饭。
  Many people don’t eat breakfast before work.
放弃早饭
- Grammatically possible, but sounds a bit odd; 放弃 usually takes more abstract objects (习惯, 机会, 计划).
- You might say 放弃早餐 in some contexts, but it is less common than talking about the habit.
放弃吃早饭的习惯
- Emphasizes the long-term habit or routine, not just one instance.
- Sounds more serious, like a lifestyle choice.

So the original sentence focuses on maintaining a healthy habit, not just one meal on one day.

What is the difference between 早饭 and 早餐? Are both correct here?

Both mean “breakfast”:

早饭 (zǎofàn)
- Very common in everyday spoken Mandarin, especially in mainland China.
- More colloquial.
早餐 (zǎocān)
- Slightly more formal or written.
- Often seen on menus, in hotels, on signs, etc.

In this sentence, you could say either:

放弃吃早饭的习惯
放弃吃早餐的习惯

Both are natural; 早饭 just sounds a bit more casual.

Does 我们 here literally mean “we”, or is it more like “people in general / you”?

我们 can be:

Literal we (speaker + others)
Inclusive we addressing the listener(s) and sometimes the speaker
A more general “people / everyone”

In this sentence, the doctor is likely speaking to patients / people in general:

医生说我们即使忙也不能放弃吃早饭的习惯。

This is best understood as:

The doctor said that even if we are busy, we still must not give up the habit of eating breakfast.

It is inclusive: we = you (people) and perhaps me too; people in general.
Very similar to how English sometimes uses “we” when giving general advice:
We shouldn’t skip breakfast.

Could we change the word order around 医生说? For example: 医生说，即使我们忙，也不能…?

Yes. All of the following are natural:

为了健康，医生说我们即使忙也不能放弃吃早饭的习惯。
为了健康，医生说，即使我们忙，也不能放弃吃早饭的习惯。
医生说，为了健康，我们即使忙也不能放弃吃早饭的习惯。
医生说，即使我们忙，也不能放弃吃早饭的习惯。

Notes:

Adding commas after 医生说 (as in 2 & 4) makes it visually clearer that what follows is the reported speech.
Spoken Chinese often just runs it together without a pause, like version 1.
The basic order is always: 医生说 + (what the doctor said); inside that you can rearrange 为了健康, 即使…也…, etc., as long as the logic stays clear.

What is the difference between using 即使…也… and 虽然…但是… to express a similar idea?

Both express concession, but with different nuances:

虽然…但是/可是… = although … but …
Often describes a known or real situation.
即使…也… = even if / even though … still …
Often stronger, can be more hypothetical or emphasize that the result will not change no matter what.

Compare:

虽然我们很忙，但是不能放弃吃早饭的习惯。
Although we are busy, we cannot give up the habit of eating breakfast.
→ Focus: We are busy, but…
即使我们很忙，也不能放弃吃早饭的习惯。
Even if we are (very) busy, we still must not give up the habit of eating breakfast.
→ Focus: No matter how busy we are, this rule doesn’t change.

In this sentence, 即使…也… is chosen to stress that being busy is not an excuse to drop the habit.