Italian has a small family of conjunctions that mean "although / even though" and that always trigger the congiuntivo: benché, sebbene, nonostante, malgrado, quantunque. The choice of which conjunction to use is a matter of register and personal preference; the choice of which tense of the congiuntivo to use is a matter of grammar — and one that learners often get wrong, because the four tense slots (presente, imperfetto, passato, trapassato) each correspond to a different time relationship with the main clause.
This page is the systematic reference: how all four congiuntivo tenses behave under concessive conjunctions, what each one means, and how to choose. It also covers the major colloquial alternative — anche se + indicativo — which sidesteps the congiuntivo entirely but produces a slightly different reading.
The concessive family
| Conjunction | Register | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| benché | neutral, slightly elevated | most common literary/written form |
| sebbene | neutral, slightly elevated | essentially synonymous with benché |
| nonostante | neutral, common in speech | also takes a noun phrase: nonostante la pioggia |
| malgrado | (formal) | slightly stiffer than nonostante |
| quantunque | (literary), (archaic) | now rare; mostly in literary or oratorical writing |
| anche se | (informal) | takes the indicativo — see section below |
All five concessive conjunctions in the first row trigger the congiuntivo. The congiuntivo here marks the clause as conceded but not asserted as a foregrounded fact — the speaker grants the content of the clause without taking it as the central point. This is the core logic of the congiuntivo across all its uses, and concessive clauses fit it cleanly.
Benché piova, usciamo lo stesso.
Even though it's raining, we're going out anyway.
Sebbene fosse stanco, ha continuato a lavorare fino a tardi.
Although he was tired, he kept working until late.
Nonostante avesse studiato molto, non ha superato l'esame.
Even though he had studied a lot, he didn't pass the exam.
The grammatical pattern is constant: concessive conjunction + congiuntivo, with the tense of the congiuntivo encoding the time relation.
The four congiuntivo tenses under concessive conjunctions
The Italian congiuntivo has four tenses: presente, imperfetto, passato, trapassato. Each one fits a specific temporal slot relative to the main clause.
| Congiuntivo tense | Time relation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| presente | simultaneous with present main clause | Benché sia stanco, esco lo stesso. |
| imperfetto | simultaneous with past main clause; or hypothetical | Benché fosse stanco, è uscito lo stesso. |
| passato | completed before present main clause | Benché sia stato stanco, ora si sente bene. |
| trapassato | completed before past main clause | Benché fosse stato stanco, è uscito lo stesso. |
The pattern is the same as for the broader sequence of tenses (consecutio temporum) in Italian — see sequence of tenses for the full system. Concessive clauses are simply one application of that broader rule.
Slot 1 — congiuntivo presente: simultaneous with present
When the main clause is in the present (or future) and the concessive event holds at the same time, use the congiuntivo presente.
Benché sia stanco, vado a correre tutte le sere.
Even though I'm tired, I go running every evening.
Sebbene piova, decido di uscire comunque.
Although it's raining, I'm deciding to go out anyway.
Nonostante abbia molto da fare, troverò il tempo per chiamarti.
Although I have a lot to do, I'll find the time to call you. (main clause future)
Malgrado faccia freddo, vado al parco.
Despite the cold, I'm going to the park.
This is by far the most frequent slot in everyday usage. Benché sia, sebbene faccia, nonostante abbia — these are the high-frequency starters. Note that the irregular forms of the congiuntivo presente (sia, abbia, faccia, possa, debba, vada, dia, stia, sappia) appear constantly in this slot; if you have not internalised them, concessive clauses will hesitate every time.
Slot 2 — congiuntivo imperfetto: simultaneous with past
When the main clause is in the past (passato prossimo, imperfetto, passato remoto) and the concessive event held at the same time as that past, use the congiuntivo imperfetto.
Benché fosse stanco, è uscito comunque a vedere il film.
Even though he was tired, he still went out to see the film.
Sebbene piovesse a dirotto, abbiamo fatto una lunga passeggiata.
Although it was raining heavily, we took a long walk.
Nonostante avesse poco tempo, mi ha aiutato a finire il progetto.
Although she had little time, she helped me finish the project.
Malgrado lui sapesse la verità, non ha detto nulla.
Even though he knew the truth, he said nothing.
The congiuntivo imperfetto pattern (fosse, avesse, sapesse, andasse, parlasse, finisse, capisse) is fully regular for most verbs — just slot the -asse / -esse / -isse endings — but the irregular forms (fosse, avesse, sapesse, dovesse, potesse, volesse, andasse, dicesse, facesse, desse, stesse) need to be solid.
The congiuntivo imperfetto also serves a second function under concessive conjunctions: marking a hypothetical concession even with present main clauses.
Benché fosse vero, non gli crederei comunque.
Even if it were true, I still wouldn't believe him. (hypothetical concession)
Sebbene avessi tempo, non andrei a quella riunione.
Even if I had the time, I wouldn't go to that meeting.
This hypothetical reading typically pairs with a condizionale in the main clause (non gli crederei, non andrei), exactly like a hypothetical se clause. The structure is logically identical to a concessive counterfactual conditional in English: even if X were the case, Y still wouldn't follow.
Slot 3 — congiuntivo passato: completed before present
When the main clause is in the present and the concessive event was completed before the present moment, use the congiuntivo passato (formed with the congiuntivo presente of avere/essere + past participle).
Benché sia stato stanco tutto il giorno, ora si sente molto meglio.
Although he was tired all day, he feels much better now.
Sebbene abbia studiato molto, non si sente sicuro per l'esame di domani.
Although he has studied a lot, he doesn't feel confident for tomorrow's exam.
Nonostante sia partita stamattina, non è ancora arrivata a destinazione.
Although she left this morning, she hasn't yet arrived at her destination.
Malgrado non abbia mai visitato Roma, conosco la città attraverso i libri.
Although I've never visited Rome, I know the city through books.
The congiuntivo passato is what distinguishes a completed past event from an ongoing past or present state. Benché sia stanco (he is tired now) vs benché sia stato stanco (he was tired in the past — though now he may not be).
This slot is the trickiest for English-speakers because English has no clean equivalent — English uses although + present perfect (although he has studied) for both the completed-but-relevant-now reading and the simple-past reading, while Italian distinguishes them cleanly.
Slot 4 — congiuntivo trapassato: completed before past
When the main clause is in the past and the concessive event was completed before that past moment, use the congiuntivo trapassato (formed with the congiuntivo imperfetto of avere/essere + past participle).
Benché avesse studiato per settimane, non riusciva a ricordare la formula.
Even though he had studied for weeks, he couldn't remember the formula.
Sebbene fosse arrivata tardi, è stata la prima a finire il test.
Although she had arrived late, she was the first to finish the test.
Nonostante avessero parlato a lungo, non avevano risolto nulla.
Even though they had talked at length, they hadn't resolved anything.
Malgrado avessi già mangiato, non ho potuto resistere a quella pizza.
Although I had already eaten, I couldn't resist that pizza.
The congiuntivo trapassato situates the concessive event in a past-before-past zone. The main verb is in some past tense (non riusciva, è stata, non avevano risolto), and the concessive event happened before that.
The full sequence in one table
For all four slots:
| Main clause | Concessive event time | Congiuntivo tense | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| presente / futuro | simultaneous | congiuntivo presente | Benché sia stanco, esco. |
| presente / futuro | completed before | congiuntivo passato | Benché sia stato stanco, ora sto bene. |
| presente | hypothetical | congiuntivo imperfetto | Benché fosse vero, non gli crederei. |
| past tenses | simultaneous with past | congiuntivo imperfetto | Benché fosse stanco, è uscito. |
| past tenses | completed before past | congiuntivo trapassato | Benché avesse studiato, non sapeva la risposta. |
These five rows cover the entire concessive system. There are no exceptions; the choice of congiuntivo tense is determined by the time relation, not by the conjunction.
Anche se: the indicative escape hatch
Italian has a colloquial alternative that takes the indicativo: anche se ("even if / even though"). It is the high-frequency choice in casual speech and in much informal writing.
Anche se sono stanco, esco lo stesso.
Even though I'm tired, I'm going out anyway. (anche se + indicativo — colloquial)
Anche se piove, andiamo al mare.
Even though it's raining, we're going to the beach.
Anche se aveva poco tempo, mi ha aiutato.
Even though she had little time, she helped me.
The semantic difference between anche se + indicativo and benché + congiuntivo is subtle but real. Benché sia stanco presents the tiredness as conceded, almost backgrounded — not the speaker's main point. Anche se sono stanco presents the tiredness as a more concrete fact, with the concessive force coming from the conjunction alone rather than from a mood selection. In practice, native speakers use both, and many do not perceive a strong difference.
| Form | Register | Mood | Feel |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benché sia stanco, ... | neutral / slightly elevated | congiuntivo | concession as backgrounded |
| Sebbene sia stanco, ... | neutral / slightly elevated | congiuntivo | same as benché |
| Nonostante sia stanco, ... | neutral, very common | congiuntivo | same; nonostante is the most everyday of the congiuntivo-takers |
| Anche se sono stanco, ... | colloquial, fully neutral | indicativo | concession as factual |
Anche se can be hypothetical too
A small but important detail: anche se can also introduce a hypothetical concession, in which case it sits in the same construction as Italian conditional clauses — and reaches for the congiuntivo imperfetto despite being anche se.
Anche se fossi ricco, non comprerei quella casa.
Even if I were rich, I wouldn't buy that house. (hypothetical)
Anche se avesse vinto, non sarebbe felice.
Even if he had won, he wouldn't be happy. (counterfactual)
This is exactly parallel to se + congiuntivo + condizionale. The exception is one of context, not of grammar: when the meaning is hypothetical, the conditional grammar takes over, and the indicativo retreats.
Nonostante and malgrado with noun phrases
Two of the conjunctions — nonostante and malgrado — can also take a noun phrase directly, without che. This is a frequent and very compact construction.
Nonostante la pioggia, abbiamo fatto la passeggiata.
Despite the rain, we took the walk.
Nonostante tutti i suoi sforzi, non ha vinto.
Despite all his efforts, he didn't win.
Malgrado le difficoltà, il progetto è stato completato in tempo.
Despite the difficulties, the project was completed on time.
Nonostante l'età, il nonno ha ancora un'energia incredibile.
Despite his age, granddad still has incredible energy.
In this construction there is no verb — and therefore no question of which mood to use. Nonostante + noun is one of the most economical concessive structures in Italian, and especially common in journalism and formal writing.
A short literary example
To give a flavour of how concessive congiuntivo behaves in real prose, consider the kind of sentence you might find in a novel or essay:
Sebbene avesse passato tutta la vita in città, sentiva nostalgia di una campagna che, in realtà, non aveva mai conosciuto.
Although he had spent all his life in the city, he felt nostalgia for a countryside that, in reality, he had never known.
The construction sebbene avesse passato — congiuntivo trapassato in a past-narrative context — is utterly typical of literary Italian. The same sentence in informal speech might come out as anche se aveva passato tutta la vita in città — fully grammatical, just less elevated.
Common mistakes
❌ Benché è stanco, esce lo stesso.
Incorrect — benché requires the congiuntivo, not the indicativo.
✅ Benché sia stanco, esce lo stesso.
Even though he's tired, he's going out anyway.
❌ Nonostante avesse studiato, non passa l'esame.
Tense clash — main clause present (passa) doesn't fit with concessive trapassato (avesse studiato). Use either presente sequence or past sequence consistently.
✅ Nonostante avesse studiato, non ha passato l'esame.
Although he had studied, he didn't pass the exam. (past throughout)
✅ Nonostante abbia studiato, non passa l'esame.
Although he has studied, he doesn't pass the exam. (present throughout)
❌ Sebbene sia stanco ieri, sono uscito comunque.
Wrong tense — past time reference requires congiuntivo imperfetto, not presente.
✅ Sebbene fossi stanco ieri, sono uscito comunque.
Although I was tired yesterday, I went out anyway.
❌ Anche se sia stanco, esco lo stesso.
Incorrect — anche se takes the indicativo, not the congiuntivo.
✅ Anche se sono stanco, esco lo stesso.
Even though I'm tired, I'm going out anyway.
✅ Benché sia stanco, esco lo stesso.
(if you want the congiuntivo, switch the conjunction)
❌ Benché ho studiato, non ho passato l'esame.
Incorrect — needs congiuntivo passato, not indicativo passato prossimo.
✅ Benché abbia studiato, non ho passato l'esame.
Although I studied, I didn't pass the exam.
Why this is hard for English-speakers
Three things make concessive congiuntivo specifically difficult:
English has no mood distinction here. Although he is tired and although he be tired are not a contrast in English — only the first is grammatical. So the very act of consciously selecting a mood feels artificial.
The tense slots don't match cleanly with English. Italian's congiuntivo passato (sia stato stanco) corresponds sometimes to English present perfect (has been tired), sometimes to simple past (was tired), and sometimes to a different structure altogether. There is no one-to-one tense-by-tense map.
The colloquial anche se alternative tempts you to skip the congiuntivo entirely. This works for speech — and is a perfectly good strategy at intermediate levels — but in any moderately formal writing, benché / sebbene / nonostante are expected, and you need the four congiuntivo tenses ready.
Key takeaways
Benché, sebbene, nonostante, malgrado, quantunque all trigger the congiuntivo. Anche se triggers the indicativo.
Four congiuntivo tense slots: presente (simultaneous with present), imperfetto (simultaneous with past, or hypothetical), passato (completed before present), trapassato (completed before past). Each is determined by the time relation between concessive event and main clause.
Tense agreement matters. A present main clause does not pair with a trapassato concessive — and vice versa. Keep the time frame consistent.
Nonostante and malgrado can also take a noun phrase directly (nonostante la pioggia) — the most compact concessive structure.
For the broader system of conjunctions that take the congiuntivo, see triggers conjunctions. For the full sequence of tenses (which governs concessive clauses along with all other subordinate clauses), see sequence of tenses. For the related compressed concessive structure with pur + gerundio (pur essendo stanco = "even though tired"), see concession with pur + gerundio.
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Open the Italian course →Related Topics
- Congiuntivo after Conjunctions (benché, sebbene, purché, prima che)B1 — The closed list of conjunctions that always trigger the congiuntivo in Italian — concessive, purpose, condition, exclusion, and temporal — and how to switch to the infinitive when subjects match.
- Sequence of Tenses (Concordanza dei Tempi)B2 — Once the main verb commits to a tense, the congiuntivo in the subordinate clause has only four cells to choose from — laid out by time relation and main-clause tense.
- Il Congiuntivo: OverviewB1 — The Italian subjunctive is a living mood, not a textbook curiosity — it expresses doubt, opinion, emotion, and desire, and you cannot sound educated in Italian without it. Here's the full landscape: tenses, triggers, and where to start.
- Concessive Chains: per quanto, comunque, qualunque, chiunque, dovunqueC1 — The 'however / whatever / whoever / wherever' family — concessive constructions that always trigger the congiuntivo, and how to stack them for rhetorical force.
- Concession with Pur + GerundioB2 — How the dedicated particle pur turns the gerundio into a compact concessive — equivalent to benché + congiuntivo but tighter, more elegant, and indispensable in formal Italian.
- Congiuntivo Imperfetto: Irregular VerbsB1 — The irregular congiuntivo imperfetto — essere, dare, stare, and the hidden-stem verbs that all reuse the same imperfetto stem.