A concessive clause admits an obstacle and then says that the expected consequence does not follow: although X, nevertheless Y. Catalan offers the neutral encara que, the explicit obstacle markers malgrat que and tot i que, and the scalar per més que. With several of these, mood shows whether the speaker asserts the obstacle as fact or treats it as hypothetical, unknown, or irrelevant to the outcome.
Decision table
| Connector | Core value | Indicative | Subjunctive | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| encara que | although / even if | asserted fact | hypothetical, unconfirmed, or irrelevant obstacle | neutral |
| malgrat que | despite the fact that | usual for acknowledged fact | possible when nonfactual or projected | neutral to formal |
| tot i que | although | usual for acknowledged fact | marked nonfactual stance | neutral |
| per més que | however much / no matter how much | actual repeated effort can be asserted | effort or degree presented as immaterial | neutral |
Encara que està cansada, acabarà la presentació avui.
Although she's tired, she'll finish the presentation today. — tiredness is asserted.
Encara que estigui cansada, acabarà la presentació avui.
Even if she's tired, she'll finish the presentation today. — tiredness is not being asserted or is irrelevant.
That minimal pair captures the central distinction. The mood does not simply translate although versus even if mechanically; it presents the speaker's stance toward the concessive content.
Encara que: the neutral, flexible connector
Encara que + indicative acknowledges a fact that might have led us to expect the opposite result. Encara que + subjunctive leaves the obstacle unconfirmed, imagines it, or explicitly says that its truth would not change the result.
Encara que plovia molt, van continuar el partit.
Although it was raining heavily, they continued the match. — known past fact.
Encara que demà plogui molt, jugarem sota cobert.
Even if it rains heavily tomorrow, we'll play under cover. — future possibility.
No canviaré d'opinió encara que m'ho demanin tots.
I won't change my mind even if everyone asks me to.
Word order affects emphasis. An initial concessive clause frames the contrast and normally takes a comma. A final clause can add the obstacle as a qualification after the main claim.
Encara que el pis és petit, hi entra molta llum.
Although the flat is small, it gets a lot of light.
El pis ens agrada, encara que és una mica petit.
We like the flat, although it's a little small.
The final version can sound like an afterthought; the initial version foregrounds the apparent contradiction.
Malgrat que and malgrat
Malgrat que introduces a finite concessive clause. Malgrat + noun phrase means despite and must not be followed by a bare finite verb without que. For an established fact, the indicative is usual.
Malgrat que el local era ple, ens van trobar una taula.
Although the restaurant was full, they found us a table.
Malgrat el soroll de les obres, el nadó s'ha adormit.
Despite the noise from the building work, the baby has fallen asleep.
When the obstacle is anticipated rather than asserted, a subjunctive is possible:
Malgrat que hi pugui haver retards, mantindrem la data d'estrena.
Even though there may be delays, we'll keep the release date.
A pesar que occurs under Spanish influence, but malgrat que and tot i que are the established standard Catalan choices. Formal writing especially benefits from avoiding a reflexive word-for-word transfer from Spanish.
Tot i que and tot i + infinitive
Tot i que + finite clause is extremely common for an acknowledged contrast. With a factual clause, it normally takes the indicative. Tot i + infinitive offers a compact construction when the understood subject is recoverable.
Tot i que no coneixia ningú, es va quedar fins al final.
Although she didn't know anyone, she stayed until the end.
Tot i tenir poca experiència, ha resolt el problema de seguida.
Despite having little experience, he solved the problem straight away.
La proposta, tot i que inclou algunes millores, no resol el problema principal.
The proposal, although it includes some improvements, does not solve the main problem.
The last example embeds the concessive clause inside the sentence. The commas show its parenthetical scope over the claim about the proposal.
If the subject would be ambiguous, prefer the finite clause. Tot i arribar tard, la reunió va començar bé might incorrectly suggest that la reunió arrived late. Write the participant explicitly:
Tot i que els ponents van arribar tard, la reunió va començar bé.
Although the speakers arrived late, the meeting started well.
Per més que: effort or degree that fails to change the result
Per més que means however much / no matter how much. It scales an effort, repetition, or degree and says that even increasing it will not produce the expected result. The subjunctive is frequent when the exact degree is immaterial; the indicative may assert an actual repeated effort.
Per més que li ho expliquem, ell continua entenent-ho al revés.
No matter how much we explain it to him, he keeps understanding it backwards.
Per més que hi insisteix, no aconsegueix que li contestin.
However much he keeps insisting, he can't get them to reply. — actual repeated behavior is asserted.
Per més que busquéssim una alternativa, no en trobàvem cap que fos viable.
No matter how much we looked for an alternative, we couldn't find one that was viable.
The clitic belongs to the verb: ho expliqui, hi insisteix, no en trobàvem cap. English word order offers no substitute for Catalan clitic selection.
Concession is not simple contrast
Però coordinates two statements: Volia venir, però treballava. A concessive conjunction makes one clause dependent on the other: Encara que volia venir, treballava. The meanings overlap, but their syntax differs. Do not stack both unless discourse emphasis genuinely calls for it; at A2, choose one clear relation.
Tot i que el pressupost és ajustat, contractarem una intèrpret.
Although the budget is tight, we'll hire an interpreter.
El pressupost és ajustat, però contractarem una intèrpret.
The budget is tight, but we'll hire an interpreter.
In the first, the tight budget is grammatically backgrounded as a concession. In the second, two independent assertions are coordinated. See però and sinó for coordination.
Negation and scope
Negation inside the concessive clause belongs to the obstacle; negation in the main clause belongs to the result. Moving it changes the proposition under concession.
Encara que no m'ho garanteixin, reservaré l'habitació.
Even if they don't guarantee it to me, I'll book the room.
Encara que m'ho garanteixin, no reservaré l'habitació.
Even if they guarantee it to me, I won't book the room.
The two sentences contain the same connector but make opposite facts irrelevant. This is why scope cannot be recovered through a one-to-one translation of even though.
A natural dialogue
—Vindràs a la calçotada, encara que faci fred? —Sí. Tot i que no tinc cotxe, puc venir amb la Sílvia. —Perfecte; per més que s'allargui la sobretaula, jo et portaré després a casa.
—Will you come to the calçotada even if it's cold? —Yes. Although I don't have a car, I can come with Sílvia. —Perfect; no matter how long lunch runs on, I'll drive you home afterwards.
Regional and register guidance
Encara que, malgrat que, tot i que, and per més que are standard across the Catalan-speaking area. Regional verb forms may differ: Valencian may use faça where Central Catalan has faci, without changing the construction. Malgrat que can sound somewhat more formal than tot i que in casual speech. Baldament can express a concessive or optative meaning but is (literary/regional) and is not a general everyday replacement for encara que.
Short correction task
- Encara que aquest cap de setmana farà molta calor, mantindrem l'excursió.
- Malgrat estava lesionat, va acabar la cursa.
- Tot i que tenir son, es va quedar a la festa.
Encara que aquest cap de setmana faci molta calor, mantindrem l'excursió.
Even if it's very hot this weekend, we'll keep the excursion as planned. — hypothetical obstacle, subjunctive.
Malgrat que estava lesionat, va acabar la cursa.
Although he was injured, he finished the race. — finite clause needs que.
Tot i tenir son, es va quedar a la festa.
Despite being sleepy, she stayed at the party. — tot i plus infinitive.
Common Mistakes
❌ Encara que farà vent, sortirem a navegar.
Incorrect for a contemplated future obstacle — future indicative is not the neutral choice.
✅ Encara que faci vent, sortirem a navegar.
Even if it's windy, we'll go sailing.
❌ Malgrat de la pluja, el concert va continuar.
Incorrect — nominal malgrat does not take de.
✅ Malgrat la pluja, el concert va continuar.
Despite the rain, the concert continued.
❌ A pesar que estava malalt, va anar a treballar.
Avoid the Spanish calque in standard Catalan.
✅ Tot i que estava malalt, va anar a treballar.
Although he was ill, he went to work.
❌ Encara que és car, però el comprarem.
Redundant at this level — both connectors mark the same opposition.
✅ Encara que és car, el comprarem.
Although it's expensive, we'll buy it.
Key Takeaways
- A concessive clause admits an obstacle but denies that it determines the main result.
- With encara que, the indicative normally asserts the obstacle as fact; the subjunctive treats it as hypothetical, unconfirmed, or irrelevant.
- Malgrat que and tot i que introduce finite clauses, while malgrat + noun and tot i + infinitive offer compact alternatives.
- Per més que scales an effort or degree whose increase still fails to change the outcome.
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Start learning Catalan →Related Topics
- Subjunctive in Concessive ClausesB2 — Use mood in Catalan concessive clauses to distinguish asserted obstacles from possibilities and circumstances treated as irrelevant.
- Indicative or Subjunctive?B1 — Choose Catalan indicative or subjunctive by deciding whether a clause is asserted or placed inside desire, evaluation, nonidentification, or another nonassertive frame.
- Conditional ConjunctionsA2 — Build open and restrictive conditions with si, sempre que, a condició que, tret que, and llevat que while matching mood to the speaker's stance.
- Però, Sinó, and Sinó QueA1 — Choose però for a contrast that leaves both claims standing, and sinó or sinó que to replace a negated constituent or clause.
- Result and Consequence ConjunctionsA2 — How Catalan presents actual consequences and intended outcomes with així que, de manera que, tan… que, and tant… que.