即使
jíshǐ · HSK 5
even if/though
即 = even/right-now + 使 = make/cause; together: 'even if'
即 carries the sense of 'right at this point/even', and 使 means 'to make' or 'suppose'. Paired, 即使 sets up a hypothetical concession: 'even supposing that...'. Often followed by 也 in the second clause.
即 — 皀 (food vessel) + 卩 (kneeling person)
Originally a pictograph showing a person kneeling beside a food vessel, about to eat. The original sense was 'to approach (the meal)' or 'to draw near.' From this came extended meanings like 'immediately,' 'at once,' and 'namely,' since approaching something happens right away.
使 — person radical 亻 + official 吏
Originally a phono-semantic compound: 亻 (person) gives the meaning and 吏 (official, also a phonetic clue) suggests the sound. The early sense was 'to send a person on a mission,' from which came 'envoy/messenger' and the broader meanings 'to use' and 'to cause/make.'