chociaż / mimo że

Although Clauses

Level 3

Polish uses chociaż and mimo że to connect two ideas where one fact makes the other surprising. They are mostly interchangeable, but mimo że is slightly more emphatic about the obstacle.

How It Works

1. Chociaż and Choć
Chociaż is the standard word for 'although.' Its shorter form, choć, is very common in speech and poetry. They are used to state a fact that didn't stop something else from happening.

2. Mimo że and Pomimo że
These literally mean 'despite that.' While chociaż is neutral, mimo że emphasizes the difficulty or the 'even though' aspect. Pomimo że is a slightly more formal variant. In formal or literary writing, you may also encounter mimo iż or pomimo iż. Note that the comma usually goes before the whole phrase (e.g., , mimo że). However, if the pointer word to is used (mimo to, że...), a comma must be placed before że.

3. The 'At Least' Nuance
Be careful: chociaż can also be a particle meaning 'at least' (e.g., Zjedz chociaż jabłko - 'Eat at least an apple'). In this case, it does not introduce a clause and does not need a comma.

4. Conjunction vs. Preposition
Do not confuse the conjunction mimo że (used with a verb) with the preposition mimo (used with a noun in the Genitive case).

  • Mimo że padało... (Conjunction + Clause)
  • Mimo deszczu... (Preposition + Noun)

Note that the high-frequency fixed expression mimo wszystko (despite everything) is an exception that uses the Accusative case; avoid hypercorrecting this to the Genitive mimo wszystkiego.

Examples (5)

  1. Chociaż nie miałem czasu, poszedłem do kina.

    Although I didn't have time, I went to the cinema.

    Word by Word: Although not I-had time, I-went to cinema.

    Here 'chociaż' introduces a factual circumstance that contrasts with the action in the main clause.

  2. Kupił ten samochód, mimo że był bardzo drogi.

    He bought that car, even though it was very expensive.

    Word by Word: He-bought this car, despite that it-was very expensive.

    Notice the comma before 'mimo że'. This emphasizes the obstacle (the high price).

  3. Zjedz chociaż zupę.

    Eat at least the soup.

    Word by Word: Eat at-least soup.

    This demonstrates 'chociaż' acting as a particle meaning 'at least' rather than a conjunction.

  4. Choć jest zimno, idziemy na spacer.

    Even though it's cold, we are going for a walk.

    Word by Word: Although is cold, we-go on walk.

    'Choć' is a shorter, more informal version of 'chociaż'.

  5. Pomimo że pracował ciężko, nie dostał awansu.

    Despite the fact that he worked hard, he didn't get a promotion.

    Word by Word: Despite that he-worked hard, not he-got promotion.

    'Pomimo że' is a slightly more formal version of 'mimo że'.

Common Mistakes

  • Placing a comma between 'mimo' and 'że'.

    Nie poszedł, mimo, że obiecał.
    Nie poszedł, mimo że obiecał.

    In Polish, 'mimo że' is treated as a single unit. The comma must come before the entire expression.

  • Using 'mimo' (preposition) directly with a verb clause.

    Mimo pada deszcz, wyszliśmy.
    Mimo że pada deszcz, wyszliśmy.

    If you want to follow with a verb (pada), you must use 'mimo że'. Use 'mimo' only with a noun in the Genitive case (e.g., 'Mimo deszczu').

  • Using chociaż where choćby is the usual word for hypothetical 'even if'.

    Different MeaningZrobię to, chociaż miałbym zginąć.
    Zrobię to, choćbym miał zginąć.

    Chociaż miałbym zginąć is grammatical, but choćby is the usual word for a hypothetical 'even if'. Choćby already carries the conditional particle, so the verb takes the past form without a second -by: choćbym miał zginąć. Chociaż mostly introduces things that are actually true.

How It Connects

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chociaż / mimo żeLevel 3Although Clauses

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Words in This Pattern

chociażmimo że