попри те що

Попри Те Що Concessive Clause

Level 5Sounds Like popri te ŝo

Попри те що is a formal way to say 'despite the fact that.' It connects a main action to an obstacle that didn't stop it.

How It Works

In Ukrainian, попри те що serves as a complex subordinating conjunction. It is derived from the simple preposition попри, which is used with the accusative case to mean "despite" or "notwithstanding" (e.g., попри всі перешкоди). This complex conjunction carries a formal weight and highlights the strength of the obstacle.

1. Structure and Morphology:
The phrase is fixed. The pronoun те remains in the accusative case and does not change. You cannot omit те; saying 'попри що' is grammatically incorrect in this context.

2. Punctuation:
Ukrainian grammar allows some flexibility with the comma when the conjunction is in the middle of a sentence. You can place it before the entire phrase (..., попри те що) or split the phrase (..., попри те, що) to emphasize the demonstrative 'that.' However, the conjunction is never split by a comma when it begins a sentence (e.g., Попри те що йшов дощ, ми пішли гуляти).

3. Register:
This is the standard choice for news reports and official documents. While it is perfectly understood in speech, using it in a casual conversation with friends might sound slightly stiff or 'bookish.'

4. Mood:
Unlike hypothetical conditions using якби, this pattern is used with the indicative mood because it refers to real, existing facts.

Examples (4)

  1. Попри те що надворі було дуже холодно, діти продовжували гратися.

    Despite the fact that it was very cold outside, the children continued to play.

    Word by Word: Despite that that outside was very cold, children continued to play.

    Here, the cold is a real obstacle that failed to stop the main action (playing).

  2. Він купив цей будинок, попри те що ціна була зависокою.

    He bought this house, despite the fact that the price was too high.

    Word by Word: He bought this house, despite that that price was too-high.

    The comma is placed before the whole conjunctional phrase to link the two clauses.

  3. Попри те що команда програла, вболівальники були задоволені грою.

    Despite the fact that the team lost, the fans were satisfied with the game.

    Word by Word: Despite that that team lost, fans were satisfied with game.

    Used in a journalistic style to contrast the result (loss) with the reaction (satisfaction).

  4. Ми вирушили в дорогу, попри те, що почалася сильна злива.

    We set off on our journey, despite the fact that a heavy downpour had started.

    Word by Word: We set-off in road, despite that, that started strong downpour.

    In this example, the comma is placed inside the phrase to add slight emphasis to the circumstance.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the Genitive case 'того' instead of the Accusative 'те'.

    Попри того що йшов дощ, ми пішли гуляти.
    Попри те що йшов дощ, ми пішли гуляти.

    The preposition 'попри' in this conjunctional construction requires the accusative form 'те', not the genitive 'того'.

  • Using a Russian calque 'не дивлячись на'.

    Не дивлячись на те що він втомився, він працював.
    Попри те що він втомився, він працював.

    In Ukrainian, 'не дивлячись' literally means 'without looking.' For concession, use 'попри те що' or 'незважаючи на те що'.

  • Omitting the word 'те'.

    Попри що він хворів, він прийшов.
    Попри те що він хворів, він прийшов.

    The preposition 'попри' cannot link directly to a clause starting with 'що'; it needs the demonstrative 'те' as a bridge.

How It Connects

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

попри те щоLevel 5Попри Те Що Concessive Clause

Learn This First

To understand 'попри те що', learners must first be familiar with how Ukrainian uses the neuter demonstrative pronoun 'те' as a placeholder to allow prepositions to govern entire clauses (the 'те, що' construction). It also requires a general understanding of subordinate clauses introduced by the conjunction 'що'.

Words in This Pattern

попритой