Concessive Chains: per quanto, comunque, qualunque, chiunque, dovunque

Italian has a tightly organized family of concessive constructions built around a small set of indefinite forms — per quanto, comunque, qualunque, chiunque, dovunque — that all share two properties: they introduce a clause that sweeps over every possible value of some variable (every degree, every manner, every kind, every person, every place), and they all require the congiuntivo. These are the "however / whatever / whoever / wherever" patterns of Italian, and once you internalize them you have access to a register of expressive power that benché and anche se cannot reach.

This page covers the full family, including position rules (especially the inversion in per quanto + adjective), the choice between qualunque and qualsiasi, the difference between concessive and indefinite-relative uses of chiunque / dovunque, the chained constructions where multiple concessives stack for rhetorical effect, and how to navigate the congiuntivo's tense sequence inside these clauses.

The family at a glance

The unifying logic: each construction asserts that the main clause holds regardless of what value the indefinite variable takes. Per quanto si sforzi — across every degree of effort. Comunque la cosa vada — across every possible outcome. Chiunque lo dica — regardless of who says it. The congiuntivo is the natural mood here because the value being swept over is, by definition, not asserted as a fact.

Per quanto + verb — "however much"

Per quanto + verb means "however much" or "no matter how much." It introduces a concessive clause that grants degrees of intensity or effort and asserts that the result holds in spite of them. The verb is in the congiuntivo.

The construction stays at a slightly elevated register — per quanto is more bookish than the colloquial alternatives per quanto che (rare) or anche se + verb. In casual speech, Italians often replace per quanto si sforzi with anche se si sforza tanto or simply si sforza, ma.... The congiuntivo construction is what you reach for in writing or careful speech.

Per quanto + adjective: the inversion construction

This is the most distinctive — and most often misordered — per quanto pattern. When per quanto is followed by an adjective rather than a verb, the verb of the clause typically appears after the adjective, with optional inversion.

The structure is: per quanto + adjective + verb (congiuntivo) + main clause.

The word order — per quanto + adjective + sia/fosse/sembri — is the formal, default order. You can also write per quanto sia intelligente (with the verb before the adjective), and many native speakers use this version interchangeably. Both are acceptable; the inverted per quanto + adj + verb form is slightly more literary.

In English, the closest equivalents are "however tired he was" or "tired though he was" — both literary. In casual English, you would normally say "no matter how tired he was."

Per quanto + adverb

The same pattern works with adverbs: per quanto + adverb + verb.

The pattern is exactly the same as with adjectives. The construction is rare in casual speech but standard in formal Italian.

Comunque + verb — "however" / "no matter how"

Comunque as a concessive conjunction (not the discourse marker comunque meaning "anyway") sweeps over manners or modes. It means "however" or "no matter how" in the sense of "in whatever way."

The phrase comunque vada — "however it goes" / "whatever happens" — is one of the most common formulaic uses, often standing alone as a parenthetical: Comunque vada, sarà un'esperienza ("Whatever happens, it'll be an experience").

Don't confuse this concessive comunque with the discourse-marker comunque that means "anyway" or "in any case" (Comunque, parliamo di altro — "Anyway, let's talk about something else"). The concessive use takes the congiuntivo and introduces a clause; the discourse-marker use stands alone or follows the main verb.

Qualunque / qualsiasi + noun — "whatever / any"

Qualunque and qualsiasi are near-synonyms meaning "whatever," "any," or "no matter what." They precede a noun and the clause takes the congiuntivo.

The two forms are essentially interchangeable in modern Italian, with subtle preferences:

• qualunque sounds slightly more elevated and is more common in literary or formal contexts.
• qualsiasi sounds slightly more neutral and is more common in everyday speech.

Both are invariable in form (no plural), and both can also function as adjectives meaning "any whatsoever" outside of concessive constructions: un qualsiasi giorno ("any day at all"), una persona qualunque ("just any person"). In the concessive use we are concerned with here, they always introduce a clause with the congiuntivo.

The fixed phrase qualunque cosa / qualsiasi cosa — "whatever (thing)" — is one of the most common building blocks:

Chiunque + verb — "whoever"

Chiunque sweeps over persons: "whoever," "anyone who," "no matter who." It functions as a pronoun (it never modifies a noun) and triggers the congiuntivo.

The distinction between concessive chiunque + congiuntivo and indefinite-relative chiunque + congiuntivo is mostly a matter of position and discourse function: when chiunque opens a clause that is followed by an independent main clause, it is concessive ("whoever X, Y"); when it heads a subject or object that completes the main clause, it is more like an indefinite relative ("anyone who X does Y"). In both cases the congiuntivo is required.

For more on the indefinite-relative uses, see Indefinite Relatives.

Dovunque / ovunque + verb — "wherever"

Dovunque and ovunque are exact synonyms meaning "wherever" or "no matter where." Both sweep over places and trigger the congiuntivo.

Both dovunque and ovunque work identically; the choice is largely euphonic. Ovunque tends to feel slightly more literary; dovunque slightly more neutral. In modern usage they are almost perfectly interchangeable.

There is also dappertutto — "everywhere" — which is not concessive. Dappertutto simply means "in every place" and takes the indicativo. C'erano fiori dappertutto ("There were flowers everywhere"). Don't conflate it with the concessive dovunque / ovunque.

Checché — the literary "whatever they may say"

Checché is a markedly literary form meaning "whatever" — typically used with verbs of speech (dire, pensare) to create the formula checché se ne dica, checché se ne pensi ("whatever people may say about it / whatever one may think").

You will encounter checché in op-eds, essays, and elevated journalism. It is essentially never used in conversation. As a learner, recognize it; producing it is largely a stylistic choice.

Chained concessives: stacking for rhetorical force

When you want to pile up concessions — to say "no matter what / no matter who / no matter when / no matter how, the result is the same" — Italian allows multiple concessives to stack into a single rhetorical sweep. All take the congiuntivo.

The parallel structure — repeated X-unque, repeated che/come, repeated congiuntivo — creates a rhetorical crescendo. Each clause adds another swept-over variable, and the main clause asserts the speaker's commitment regardless of all of them. This is the rhetoric of vows, declarations of loyalty, and dramatic literary climaxes.

Mood: always congiuntivo

Every construction in this family takes the congiuntivo — not optionally, not "preferably," but obligatorily. Using the indicativo here is one of the most distinctive markers of non-native Italian.

The congiuntivo's role here is to mark the value being swept over as non-asserted — the speaker is not claiming that any specific degree, manner, person, or place is in fact the case; they are sweeping over all possibilities. The mood and the construction are inseparable.

Tense sequence inside the concessive clause

The congiuntivo follows the standard sequence-of-tenses rules:

• Main clause in present or future → concessive in congiuntivo presente (or passato for completed action).
• Main clause in past (passato prossimo, imperfetto, passato remoto, trapassato) → concessive in congiuntivo imperfetto (or trapassato for completed action).

For the full sequence-of-tenses theory, see sequence of tenses with the congiuntivo.

Comparison with English and Spanish

English uses a smaller toolkit: "however," "whatever," "whoever," "wherever," "no matter how/what/who/where" — and the verb is typically in the indicative ("however hard he tries," not "however hard he try"). The Italian forms feel heavier in English translation precisely because the congiuntivo is mandatory and English has lost most of its subjunctive.

Spanish has a similar system (por mucho que + subjuntivo, cualquier cosa que + subjuntivo, quienquiera que + subjuntivo), so Spanish-speaking learners of Italian have a head start here. The per quanto + adjective construction with inversion is closer to Spanish por muy + adjective + que than to anything in English.

Common mistakes

Key takeaways

Five points capture the family:

1. Five core constructions, one rule. Per quanto, comunque, qualunque/qualsiasi, chiunque, dovunque/ovunque — all require the congiuntivo, always.

2. Per quanto

   • adjective uses inversion.
   Per quanto stanco fosse (formal) or per quanto fosse stanco (slightly more colloquial). Both correct; the inversion is more elegant.

3. Qualunque and qualsiasi are interchangeable. Both invariable, both followed by a noun, both trigger the congiuntivo. Qualunque is slightly more elevated; qualsiasi slightly more neutral.

4. Don't confuse concessive comunque with the discourse marker. The concessive opens a clause with congiuntivo; the discourse marker stands alone with the indicativo. Comunque vada (concessive: "however it goes") vs. Comunque, parliamo di altro (discourse: "anyway, let's talk about something else").

5. Stack for rhetorical force. Chained concessives — chiunque tu sia, qualunque cosa tu voglia, dovunque tu vada — are the rhetoric of vows, oaths, and dramatic declarations. Powerful in writing; rare in casual speech.

For the basic concessive conjunctions (benché, sebbene, nonostante), see Concessive Conjunctions. For the compact alternative pur + gerundio, see Concession with Pur + Gerundio. For the broader subjunctive trigger system, see Congiuntivo after Conjunctions. For dovunque / comunque in fixed exclamations and standalone subjunctive uses, see Doubled Subjunctive for Emphasis.