To express "even if" (or "even though") in Turkish, use a concessive conditional clause. This is built by adding the conditional suffix to a verb, followed by the word bile or the particle da / de.
The Conditional Suffix (-sa / -se)
First, attach the conditional suffix to the verb stem, along with the appropriate personal ending. Depending on 2-way vowel harmony, the suffix will be -sa (after a, ı, o, u) or -se (after e, i, ö, ü).
| Pronoun | Suffix | Example (yapmak - to do) |
|---|
| Ben | -sAm | yapsam |
| Sen | -sAn | yapsan |
| O | -sA | yapsa |
| Biz | -sAk | yapsak |
| Siz | -sAnIz | yapsanız |
| Onlar | -sAlAr | yapsalar |
Notice that for "o" (he/she/it), there is no personal ending. The verb simply ends in -sa or -se, which is very common when talking about conditions like the weather.
Expressing "Even If" with "bile"
To say "even if", add the word bile (even) right after your conditional verb.
Expressing "Even If" with "da / de"
Alternatively, you can use the separate particle da or de instead of bile. As a separate word, it is never attached to the verb, but its vowel still harmonizes with the suffix before it, giving you -sa da or -se de.
Negative "Even If"
To say "even if it doesn't...", insert the negative suffix -ma / -me directly after the verb stem, before the conditional suffix. For example, yağmak (to rain) becomes yağmasa (if it doesn't rain).