aunque

Aunque is a Spanish subordinating conjunction used to express concession. It introduces a subordinate clause that states a circumstance contrasting with the action or outcome in the main clause. In English, it is commonly translated as although, though, or even if.

Grammar: Aunque can be followed by either the indicative or the subjunctive mood. Use the indicative when the concession refers to a real, known fact: for example, Aunque llueve, iremos. Use the subjunctive when the situation is hypothetical, uncertain, or contrary to the expectation: for example, Aunque llueva, iremos. The choice of mood can also reflect the speaker’s view of the main clause’s eventual outcome.

Position and punctuation: The clause introduced by aunque may come at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence, and is usually followed by a comma when it starts the sentence. Examples: Aunque está lloviendo, salimos. Salimos, aunque está lloviendo.

Usage notes: Aunque is widely used in everyday speech and writing to acknowledge an opposing fact or condition. It can combine with verbs in various tenses, including future, past, and conditional. It also appears in fixed expressions, such as aunque sea, meaning “even if it is,” and in stronger concessive forms like por más que, which reinforce the concession.

Relation to related forms: Although conveys similar ideas to other concessive constructions in Spanish, such as a stronger po- or incluso phrases. It is distinct from apenas in meaning, and commonly contrasts with but not a direct synonym for every nuance. Learners should be mindful of mood selection (indicative vs subjunctive) and the placement of the clause to convey the intended concession.