Conceding an objection in French: bien que and même si

Bring back a reason and a limit

Le projet is ‘the project’, cher ‘expensive’, utile ‘useful’, and toutefois ‘however’: the first sentence keeps both cost and usefulness in view. You already have wishes such as je voudrais que… (‘I would like…’) and necessity with il faut que… (‘it is necessary that…’): être, avoir, faire give soit, ait, fasse in those clauses. The earlier hypothesis si nous avions plus de temps, nous pourrions… means ‘if we had more time, we could…’; it is not the same construction as today's concession.

• Le projet est cher ; toutefois, il est utile.🔊

  The project is expensive; however, it is useful.

A choice that survives the objection

Two colleagues choose a project; the team is trying to reduce costs, but it is still expensive. Speaker B admits this and keeps the choice, even under a possible price increase. L'équipe means ‘the team’, faire des efforts ‘make efforts’, coûter cher ‘cost a lot’, and je le choisis ‘I choose it’: le stands for the project.

• A

  Le projet est cher ; toutefois, il est utile.🔊

  The project is expensive; however, it is useful.

• B

  Bien que le projet soit cher, je le choisis.🔊

  Although the project is expensive, I choose it.

• A

  Bien que l'équipe fasse des efforts, le projet coûte cher.🔊

  Although the team makes efforts, the project costs a lot.

• B

  Même si le prix augmente, je choisis ce projet.🔊

  Even if the price rises, I choose this project.

An accepted objection: bien que

Bien que means ‘although’ here and takes the subjunctive: le projet soit cher, l'équipe ait peu de temps, l'équipe fasse des efforts. Peu de temps is ‘little time’; elle peut continuer means ‘it can continue’, with elle referring to the feminine noun équipe. Compare the indicative est, a, fait with the subjunctive soit, ait, fasse. The speaker accepts the high cost as real: this subjunctive does not mean the cost is uncertain. English ‘although it is expensive’ keeps is, but French uses soit after bien que. The main clause states what still holds: the choice, the possibility of continuing, or the cost concern.

Bien que sujet + subjonctif, position maintenue

• Bien que le projet soit cher, je le choisis.🔊

  Although the project is expensive, I choose it.

• Bien que l'équipe ait peu de temps, elle peut continuer.🔊

  Although the team has little time, it can continue.

• Bien que l'équipe fasse des efforts, le projet coûte cher.🔊

  Although the team makes efforts, the project costs a lot.

Add selected regular forms

For regular -er verbs here, remove -er and add -e with il or -ions with nous: coûter → coûte, travailler → travaillions. For regular -ir verbs of the choisir type, remove -ir and add -issions with nous: choisir → choisissions; this is not a rule for every verb ending in -ir. Compare nous travaillons / nous travaillions and nous choisissons / nous choisissions, whereas il coûte is written the same in both moods. Vite means ‘quickly’, vérifier le prix ‘check the price’, and simple ‘simple’. In the first example, working quickly is an admitted fact, but the team still checks the price; in the second, simplicity has not made the project cheap. Listen to these examples and follow each subject and verb.

• Bien que nous travaillions vite, nous vérifions le prix.🔊

  Although we work quickly, we check the price.

• Bien que nous choisissions un projet simple, il coûte cher.🔊

  Although we choose a simple project, it costs a lot.

• Bien que le projet coûte cher, il est utile.🔊

  Although the project costs a lot, it is useful.

A possible condition: même si

Même si means ‘even if’ in these examples, followed by indicative augmente or travaillons, not the subjunctive. The price increase is a possibility, not an asserted fact; even under that condition, the speaker chooses this project. Contrast bien que nous travaillions vite, which admits that we work quickly, with même si nous travaillons vite, which considers that possibility. French même si can also introduce a real fact in other contexts: the contrast is not a mechanical real/unreal test. Replacing one connector with the other can change the viewpoint and requires checking the verb's mood. Ce projet means ‘this project’; je choisis states the choice the speaker maintains.

Même si sujet + indicatif, position maintenue

• Même si le prix augmente, je choisis ce projet.🔊

  Even if the price rises, I choose this project.

• Même si nous travaillons vite, nous vérifions le prix.🔊

  Even if we work quickly, we check the price.

Recognize quoique

Quoique, written as one word, can introduce a concession with the subjunctive, as in quoique le projet soit cher. The sentence means ‘although the project is expensive, I choose it’. Recognize it when reading; produce bien que for this lesson's accepted objections. Do not treat quoique or bien que as automatic replacements for même si's possible condition.

• Quoique le projet soit cher, je le choisis.🔊

  Although the project is expensive, I choose it.

Admit a fact, then consider a possibility

Before listening to the answers, say that the team has little time but can continue, using bien que. Next, speak as a team member: admit that ‘we work quickly’, then keep ‘we check the price’. Finally speak for yourself: say ‘Even if the price rises, I choose this project’, treating the rise as a possibility. Compare your phrases with the three models and explain why the first two use the subjunctive and the last uses the indicative.

• Bien que l'équipe ait peu de temps, elle peut continuer.🔊

  Although the team has little time, it can continue.

• Bien que nous travaillions vite, nous vérifions le prix.🔊

  Although we work quickly, we check the price.

• Même si le prix augmente, je choisis ce projet.🔊

  Even if the price rises, I choose this project.

Keep the objection and your position separate

With bien que, admit the objection and then say what remains true. With même si in the models, consider a condition and maintain the choice; the indicative does not by itself assert that the condition is real. The table is a written reminder; use the examples above for audio.