bien que + Subjunctive
Although with Bien Que
Use bien que to say "although" or "even though" in standard or formal French. It must be followed by a verb in the subjunctive mood.
How It Works
1. The Subjunctive Requirement
The most important rule for bien que is that the following verb must be in the subjunctive. Even if the statement is a known fact (e.g., "Although it is raining"), the conjunction itself triggers the mood change.
2. Elision
Because que ends in a vowel, it undergoes elision before a vowel or a silent 'h'.
- Bien qu'il...
- Bien qu'elle...
- Bien qu'on...
3. Syntactic Reduction
If the subject of the bien que clause is the same as the main clause, you can sometimes drop the verb être and follow the conjunction directly with an adjective or past participle.
Example: Bien que fatigué, il continue. (Although [he is] tired, he continues.)
4. Register
This is a standard-to-formal expression. In casual conversation, French speakers often prefer même si because it uses the indicative mood and feels less heavy.
Examples (4)
- Bien qu'il soit tard, je veux finir ce livre.
Although it is late, I want to finish this book.
Word by Word: Although it be late, I want to finish this book.
Notice the use of 'soit', the subjunctive of être.
- Elle est sortie bien qu'il pleuve.
She went out although it is raining.
Word by Word: She is gone out although it rains (subjunctive).
Even though the rain is a fact, 'pleuve' must be in the subjunctive because of 'bien que'.
- Bien qu'elle ait faim, elle ne mange rien.
Even though she is hungry, she isn't eating anything.
Word by Word: Although she has (subjunctive) hunger, she eats nothing.
Uses the subjunctive of avoir.
- Bien que timide, il a fait un excellent discours.
Although shy, he gave an excellent speech.
Word by Word: Although shy, he has made an excellent speech.
This shows the reduced form where the verb 'être' is omitted because the subject is the same.
Common Mistakes
Using the indicative mood after 'bien que'.
Bien qu'il est malade, il travaille.Bien qu'il soit malade, il travaille.Learners often use 'est' (indicative) because the person is actually sick. However, 'bien que' grammatically demands the subjunctive 'soit' regardless of the truth of the statement.
Using 'malgré que' followed by a clause.
Malgré qu'il pleut, nous sortons.Bien qu'il pleuve, nous sortons.Here 'pleut' is also the wrong mood. 'Malgré que' is heard in speech and some guides still call it incorrect; it needs the subjunctive. The safe choice is 'bien que' with a verb, or 'malgré' with a noun (e.g., 'Malgré la pluie').
How It Connects
Learn This First
To use 'bien que' correctly, you must be comfortable with the present subjunctive conjugation and understand that certain conjunctions in French automatically trigger this mood to express ideas like concession or necessity.
- il faut que + SubjunctiveNecessity with Il Faut Que + Subjunctive
Understanding the concept of a conjunction triggering the subjunctive mood is essential before learning specific conjunctions like 'bien que'.
Level 3 - quoique + SubjunctiveAlthough with Quoique
Quoique is a direct synonym for bien que and introduces the same grammatical structure (concession + subjunctive), providing a conceptual foundation for this pattern.
Level 3
Related Patterns
- Regular subjunctive formation
You must know how to form the subjunctive to use bien que correctly.
Level 3 - si bien queSo Much So That with Si Bien Que
Despite the similar spelling, 'si bien que' expresses consequence (so that) and takes the indicative, not the subjunctive.
Level 5 - quoi que / quoiqueWhatever Versus Although
It is important to distinguish 'quoique' (although) from 'quoi que' (whatever).
Level 6 - Dropping a vowel before another vowel
The 'que' in 'bien que' always elides to 'qu'' before a vowel.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice bien que + Subjunctive in Bubblegum
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