Today we’ll have a look at a word which many students find difficult: bien que, meaning even though and although. This word-of-the-day is a bit advanced but it’s definitely worth learning. My suggestion is to listen to the examples and gain a sense of the word. Bien que difficile, vous pouvez le faire! Although difficult, you can do it!
bien que
even though, although
Bien que – even though, although in French
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Bien que (even though, although) is a connecting word or a subordinating conjunciton, linking two phrases or parts of a sentence which often contradict each other. It is followed by the subjunctive mood. The following example illustrates the point. Travaillerai (will work) is in the future tense.
Je travaillerai bien que je sois malade.
I’ll work although I’m sick.
Example sentences
This example sentence uses the verb gagner, which means both to win and to earn money. Fasse is the third-person singular form of faire (to make, to do) in the subjunctive mood.
Il gagne beaucoup d’argent bien qu’il ne fasse pas grand-chose.
He earns a lot of money although he doesn’t do much.
Bien que can also appear at the beginning of a sentence. Notice that I flipped the order of the clauses in my translation.
Bien que son accent soit horrible, il parle très courrament.
He speaks very fluently even though his accent is horrible.
Bien que + adjective translates to “depite being” or although. Notice that this sentence uses bien que in a slighly different context and doesn’t require the usage of the sujunctive mood.
Bien que timide, il arrive à parler un peu avec les gens.
Despite being shy, he manages to speak a bit with the people.
This final example sentence uses bien que in a totally diffrent form. In French, aussi bien que translates to “as well as”. This is an example of the French comparative.
Il parle français aussi bien que mon prof !
He speaks French as well as my teacher!
Related lessons
- Quoique – Even though, although
- Cependant – However, yet, nevertheless
- Malgré – Despite, In Spite Of
- Que – What, that, than
References
