مع أن

Even Though

Level 4

Use مع أنَّ (ma‘a anna) to introduce a fact that contrasts with the main part of your sentence. It is the standard way to say 'although' in formal Arabic.

How It Works

The expression مع أنَّ is a powerful tool for building complex sentences in Modern Standard Arabic. It functions as a concessive conjunction, setting up a premise that is then subverted by the main clause. It is synonymous with Despite.

1. Grammatical Structure:
Because it contains the particle That (أنّ), it requires a nominal sentence. This means:

  • If followed by a noun, that noun must take The Object Ending (usually -a).
  • If the subject is a pronoun, you must use Attached Accusative Pronouns (e.g., مع أنه، مع أنها). For 'I', both مع أنني and مع أني are correct, though مع أنني is often preferred in formal writing.

2. Handling Verbs:
You cannot follow the particle directly with a verb. Instead, you must attach a pronoun to act as the subject: مع أنه ذهب (Even though he went).

3. Comparison with Similar Tools:
While Even Though takes a nominal sentence with the subject in the accusative, its synonym Despite is a prepositional phrase. Therefore, the noun following Despite must be in The Ending After Prepositions and Joined Nouns (genitive case).

4. The Second Clause:
The second (contrasting) clause often begins with However or But (With a Following Noun) to emphasize the contrast. Sometimes the Linking Fa (fa al-rabita) is used to link the result, particularly before Already Done.

Examples (4)

  1. مع أنَّ الامتحانَ كان صعباً، إلا أنَّ الجميعَ نجحوا.

    Even though the exam was difficult, everyone passed.

    Word by Word: With that the exam was difficult, except that the all succeeded.

    Notice how 'the exam' (al-imtihāna) is in the accusative case because of 'anna'.

  2. سأشتري هذه السيارة مع أنَّها غاليةٌ جداً.

    I will buy this car even though it is very expensive.

    Word by Word: I will buy this the car with that it expensive very.

    Here, the pronoun suffix '-hā' (it/she) is attached directly to 'anna' to refer back to the car.

  3. مع أنَّه يسكنُ في لندن، إلا أنَّه لا يتكلمُ الإنجليزيةَ جيداً.

    Although he lives in London, he does not speak English well.

    Word by Word: With that he lives in London, except that he not speaks the English well.

    A pronoun suffix '-hu' is used because 'anna' cannot be followed directly by the verb 'lives'.

  4. خرجتُ للمشي مع أنَّ الجوَّ كان بارداً.

    I went out for a walk even though the weather was cold.

    Word by Word: I went out for the walking with that the weather was cold.

    When the 'even though' clause comes second, the contrast marker 'illa anna' is often omitted.

Common Mistakes

  • Following the pattern directly with a verb.

    مع أنَّ يدرسُ كثيراً رسبَ في الامتحان.
    مع أنَّه يدرسُ كثيراً رسبَ في الامتحان.

    You must attach a pronoun (like -hu) to 'anna' if you want to follow it with a verb.

  • Using the nominative case for the following noun.

    مع أنَّ البيتُ قديمٌ...
    مع أنَّ البيتَ قديمٌ...

    Nouns following 'anna' must be in the accusative case (al-mansub).

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

مع أنLevel 4Even Though

Learn This First

To understand 'مع أن' (Even though), you need to be familiar with the preposition 'مع' and the particle 'أنّ'. Since 'أنّ' is one of the 'sisters of Inna', you must understand how it affects the following noun or how pronouns attach to it to form a concessive clause.

Words in This Pattern

مع أنمعأن