📖LearnModule 8 · Lesson 7 of 30Independent User · CEFR B2, first halfUnit 2 · La concession
Bien que — although
Module 8 of the free French course (CEFR B2, first half), lesson 7 of 30: Bien que means although and takes the subjunctive, always. On this page: 8 words with their genders and respellings, the rule, a watch-out line, the conjugation table and the audio — the study notes behind the workbook's lesson 7.
The words
French
English
Say it
bien que
although
BYA(n) kuh
quoique
even though
KWAH-kuh
bien qu'il soit tard
although it is late
bya(n) keel swah TAHR
quoi que tu fasses
whatever you do
kwah kuh tew FAHS
soutenir
to support
soo-tuh-NEER
continuer malgré tout
to carry on regardless
koh(n)-tee-new-ay mahl-gray TOO
tard
late (in the day)
tahr
le synonyme
the synonym
luh see-noh-NEEM
Respellings follow the course’s say-it key; the stressed syllable is in capitals. Print this lesson’s flashcards (PDF) — the words on the front, the English and respelling on the back.
Hear the words
Each word is read twice — say it back in the gap. Computer-generated voice; credits on the course page.
La règle · The rule
Bien que means although and takes the subjunctive, always, with no exceptions worth learning. Bien qu'il soit tard, je continue — although it is late, I am carrying on.
Et aussi · And also
Quoique is its exact synonym, one register higher and slightly less common. Do not confuse it with quoi que in two words, which means whatever: quoi que tu fasses, je te soutiens.
Attention · Watch out
bien que ALWAYS takes the subjunctive: bien qu'il soit tard. And quoique (one word, although) is not quoi que (two words, whatever).
être, subjonctif — the table
je sois · tu sois · il/elle soit · nous soyons · vous soyez · ils/elles soient
Do it now — on paper
Say all 8 words aloud twice from the respelling, then once from the French spelling alone — begin with bien que.
Copy every word with its accents on paper; then cover the English column and write each meaning back from the French.
Write out être, subjonctif in full from memory, every person, and check each form against the table above.
This free course is the reading half. The writing half — write-in lessons, daily practice pages with built-in review, self-checks and a full answer key — is the companion workbook series, The French Ladder: one workbook per module, fifteen in all, released band by band with the Basic band (Modules 1–5) first.
Keep these words
Turn this lesson’s words into flashcards, then space your reviews — the two habits the research behind our study guides backs hardest.