फिर भी (phir bhii)
conjunction
A connective meaning 'even so, nevertheless, still' -- used to introduce a statement that goes against what was just said or expected.
Sense
1
:
nevertheless, even so, still
conjunction Sits at the start of the second clause to mark it as contrary to what would logically follow from the first: X, फिर भी Y (X, phir bhii Y, 'X, but even so Y').
Synonyms: तो भी (to bhii), लेकिन फिर भी (lekin phir bhii, emphatic variant), बावजूद इसके (baavjood iske, more formal)
Frequency: high
Cultural Note: You will hear this constantly in everyday complaining and storytelling: बारिश हो रही थी, फिर भी वह गया (baarish ho rahii thii, phir bhii vah gayaa, 'It was raining, but he went anyway') is the exact shape of a thousand daily anecdotes. It pairs naturally with बावजूद (baavjood, 'in spite of') constructions -- फिर भी (phir bhii) is the everyday, spoken-register way to express that same 'despite everything' idea.
Common Mistakes: 1) Learners often try to translate 'even so' word-for-word using फिर (phir, 'then/again') and भी (bhii, 'also') as if they carry independent meaning here -- but फिर भी (phir bhii) functions as one fixed connective, not a literal combination of the two. 2) It is placed at the start of the clause it introduces, not tacked onto the end like English 'still' sometimes is.
Sample Sentences:
बारिश हो रही थी, फिर भी वह गया।
It was raining, but he went anyway.
(baarish ho rahii thii, phir bhii vah gayaa।)
मैंने उसे बार-बार समझाया, फिर भी वह नहीं माना।
I explained it to him again and again, but still he didn't listen.
(mainne use baar-baar samjhaayaa, phir bhii vah nahiin maanaa।)
वह हर रोज़ थक जाता है, फिर भी सुबह जल्दी उठता है।
He gets tired every day, and yet he still wakes up early in the morning.
(vah har roz thak jaataa hai, phir bhii subah jaldii uthtaa hai।)
अगर तुम मुझे मना भी कर देते, तो फिर भी मैं कोशिश करता।
Even if you had refused me, I still would have tried.
(agar tum mujhe manaa bhii kar dete, to phir bhii main koshish kartaa।)
कंपनी को बहुत नुकसान हुआ, फिर भी कर्मचारियों को निकाला नहीं गया।
The company suffered a great loss, but even so the employees were not laid off.
(kampnii ko bahut nuksaan huaa, phir bhii karmchaariyon ko nikaalaa nahiin gayaa।)
डॉक्टर ने उसे मना किया था, फिर भी वह सिगरेट पीता रहा।
The doctor had forbidden him, but he still kept smoking cigarettes.
(doktar ne use manaa kiyaa thaa, phir bhii vah sigret piitaa rahaa।)
उसके इतने बावजूद समझाने के, फिर भी बच्चा रो रहा है।
Despite all her efforts to console him, the child is still crying.
(uske itne baavjood samjhaane ke, phir bhii bachchaa ro rahaa hai।)
चाहे कुछ भी हो जाए, फिर भी मैं तुम्हारा साथ नहीं छोड़ूँगा।
Whatever happens, I will still not leave your side.
(chaahe kuchh bhii ho jaae, phir bhii main tumhaaraa saath nahiin chhodoongaa।)
क्या तुम फिर भी उस पर भरोसा करती हो, इतना कुछ होने के बाद?
Do you still trust him, even after everything that happened?
(kyaa tum phir bhii us par bharosaa kartii ho, itnaa kuchh hone ke baad?)
सारे प्रमाण उसके खिलाफ़ थे, फिर भी न्यायालय ने उसे निर्दोष घोषित किया।
All the evidence was against him, yet the court declared him innocent.
(saare pramaan uske khilaaf the, phir bhii nyaayaalay ne use nirdosh ghoshit kiyaa।)