A concession is a sentence where the speaker grants an obstacle and then says the action happens anyway — even though it's raining, I'm going out. English uses one word for the whole job: although / even though / even if, picked by feel. Spanish forces a distinction English merges: aunque + indicative means even though (the obstacle is real and known); aunque + subjunctive means even if (the obstacle is hypothetical). The mood is the meaning.
This page covers the full concessive set: aunque (the workhorse), a pesar de que / pese a que (despite that), si bien (formal although), por + adjective + que + subjunctive (however X), por mucho que / por más que + subjunctive (however much), and the gerundival aun + gerund.
Aunque — the cardinal concessive
Aunque is the everyday word for although / even though / even if. Position is flexible (initial or post-comma), but the mood choice is meaning-bearing.
Aunque + indicative — even though, real concession
When the obstacle is a known fact — something the speaker accepts as true — aunque takes the indicative. The English equivalent is even though or although.
Aunque llueve, voy a salir a correr.
Even though it's raining, I'm going out to run. — the rain is a known fact.
Aunque no me gusta el pescado, hoy comeré con ellos en el chiringuito.
Even though I don't like fish, I'll eat with them at the beach bar today.
Aunque era muy joven, ya hablaba tres idiomas.
Although he was very young, he already spoke three languages. — past indicative imperfect, the youth is a fact in the past.
Aunque + subjunctive — even if, hypothetical concession
When the obstacle is hypothetical, unknown, or projected into the future — something the speaker is not asserting as true — aunque takes the subjunctive. The English equivalent is even if.
Aunque llueva, voy a salir a correr.
Even if it rains, I'm going out to run. — the rain hasn't happened yet, may or may not.
Aunque me lo pidas de rodillas, no voy a cambiar de opinión.
Even if you beg me on your knees, I'm not going to change my mind.
Aunque fuera millonario, no compraría ese coche.
Even if I were a millionaire, I wouldn't buy that car. — imperfect subjunctive, fully hypothetical.
The minimal pair
The choice is invisible in English but rigid in Spanish:
Aunque llueve, voy a salir.
Even though it's raining (now, real), I'm going out.
Aunque llueva, voy a salir.
Even if it rains (hypothetical), I'm going out.
There is also a third reading: aunque + subjunctive can be used even with a known fact, when the speaker wants to downplay it or treat it as not weighing on the decision. Aunque llueva, voy a salir could be said even with rain pouring outside, signalling "yes, fine, it's raining, but I'm not going to dignify it as a real obstacle." This pragmatic use is fluent and idiomatic but optional — beginners should master the basic fact/hypothesis distinction first.
A pesar de que / pese a que — despite the fact that
Two variants of the same conjunction, meaning despite (the fact) that. Both prefer the indicative when the fact is known, and switch to the subjunctive for hypothetical content. A pesar de que is the more common form; pese a que is slightly more written.
A pesar de que llovía a mares, fuimos andando hasta el teatro.
Despite the fact that it was pouring, we walked to the theatre.
Pese a que nadie lo apoyaba, siguió con el proyecto.
Despite no one supporting him, he went on with the project.
A pesar de que tenga buenas notas, no le admitirán sin entrevista.
Even though he may have good marks, they won't admit him without an interview. — subjunctive flags uncertainty about the marks.
Note also the non-clausal version: a pesar de + noun/infinitive. This is extremely common.
A pesar de la lluvia, fuimos andando.
Despite the rain, we walked.
A pesar de estar agotado, terminé el informe esa misma noche.
Despite being exhausted, I finished the report that same night.
The choice between clausal a pesar de que + verb and non-clausal a pesar de + noun/infinitive parallels the porque / por split from the causal page: when there's a conjugated verb, use a pesar de que; when there isn't, use a pesar de + noun/infinitive.
Si bien — although (formal)
Si bien is a formal/written synonym of aunque, restricted to the indicative. It belongs to journalism, essays, and elevated prose — not casual conversation. The English equivalents are although or while (in its concessive sense).
Si bien la economía ha mejorado, el desempleo sigue siendo alto. (formal/written)
Although the economy has improved, unemployment remains high.
Si bien era consciente del riesgo, decidió seguir adelante. (formal)
Although he was aware of the risk, he decided to press on.
In speech, you would say aunque la economía ha mejorado…. Save si bien for writing where you want to sound deliberate or to vary from aunque without changing meaning.
Por + adjective/adverb + que + subjunctive — however X
A high-frequency concessive pattern that English handles with however + adjective/adverb. The Spanish version is rigid: por + adj/adv + que + subjunctive.
Por difícil que sea, lo conseguiré.
However difficult it is, I'll manage it.
Por cansada que esté, siempre saca tiempo para sus hijos.
However tired she is, she always finds time for her kids.
Por tarde que llegues, te esperaré despierto.
However late you arrive, I'll wait up for you.
The pattern is fixed: por + the quality (adjective or adverb) + que + a verb in the subjunctive. The subjunctive is obligatory — there is no indicative variant. The construction concedes that the quality may reach any degree, and the main clause stands regardless.
This pattern is one of the cleanest in Spanish concession. Once you have it memorised, you'll hear it constantly: por mucho que insistas (however much you insist), por poco que cueste (however little it costs), por raro que parezca (however strange it may seem), por más que lo intente (however much I try).
Por mucho/poco que + subjunctive — however much/little
A close cousin to the previous pattern, used with verb actions or quantities.
Por mucho que insistas, no te voy a dejar las llaves.
However much you insist, I'm not going to lend you the keys.
Por más que estudie, las matemáticas no me entran.
However much I study, maths just won't go in.
Por poco que cueste, no me lo voy a comprar.
However little it costs, I'm not going to buy it.
Por mucho que and por más que are interchangeable in most contexts. Por poco que flips to the opposite — however little. All take the subjunctive.
Aun + gerund — even while X-ing
A compact concessive construction using a gerund. Aun + gerund means even while X-ing / even being X. Note the spelling: aun (no accent) means even; aún (with accent) means still / yet — different word.
Aun sabiendo que era una mala idea, lo hizo.
Even knowing it was a bad idea, he did it.
Aun siendo el más joven del equipo, marcó tres goles.
Even being the youngest on the team, he scored three goals.
Aun teniendo razón, no consigue convencer a nadie.
Even being right, he can't manage to convince anyone.
The pattern compresses a aunque-style concession into a participial phrase: aun sabiendo ≈ aunque sabía. The gerund eliminates the conjugated verb and ties the concession to the subject of the main clause.
Aun cuando — even when
Two-word aun cuando (no accent on aun) means even when / even if. It functions as a more formal alternative to aunque, and like aunque, the mood depends on the meaning: indicative for known facts, subjunctive for hypotheticals.
Aun cuando llovía a mares, los niños quisieron seguir jugando. (formal)
Even when it was pouring, the kids wanted to keep playing.
Aun cuando me lo jurara mil veces, no le creería. (formal, hypothetical)
Even if he swore it to me a thousand times, I wouldn't believe him.
In conversation, aunque covers this territory more naturally. Aun cuando belongs to writing.
Common Mistakes
❌ Aunque llueve mañana, voy a la playa.
If you're talking about a future, hypothetical rain, you need the subjunctive llueva, not the indicative llueve.
✅ Aunque llueva mañana, voy a la playa.
Even if it rains tomorrow, I'm going to the beach.
❌ Aunque llueva, estoy mojándome ahora mismo.
If the rain is happening right now (a known fact), aunque takes the indicative.
✅ Aunque llueve, me estoy mojando.
Even though it's raining, I'm getting wet. — (or in many real contexts you'd just say 'llueve y me estoy mojando' — this is a pure example.)
❌ Por mucho que insistes, no voy a cambiar de opinión.
The por... que + verb construction always takes the subjunctive.
✅ Por mucho que insistas, no voy a cambiar de opinión.
However much you insist, I won't change my mind.
❌ A pesar de la lluvia, no fuimos porque llovía mucho.
Stylistically clumsy, but more importantly: the construction here is a pesar de + noun, not a pesar de que + verb. Don't double-dip.
✅ A pesar de que llovía mucho, no salimos.
Despite the fact that it was raining heavily, we didn't go out.
❌ Aún sabiendo que era difícil, lo intenté.
Aún (with accent) means still / yet. The concessive even is aun (no accent).
✅ Aun sabiendo que era difícil, lo intenté.
Even knowing it was difficult, I tried.
❌ Si bien tenga buenas notas, no la admitirán.
Si bien only takes the indicative — it's the formal indicative-only counterpart to aunque.
✅ Si bien tiene buenas notas, no la admitirán.
Although she has good marks, they won't admit her.
Key takeaways
- Aunque + indicative = even though (known fact); aunque + subjunctive = even if (hypothetical). The mood is the meaning.
- A pragmatic use exists: aunque + subjunctive with a known fact when the speaker wants to dismiss the obstacle. Optional, for advanced learners.
- A pesar de que / pese a que mirror aunque; the non-clausal a pesar de + noun/infinitive is for when there's no conjugated verb.
- Si bien is a formal/written although and only takes the indicative. Reserve for essays and journalism.
- Por + adj/adv + que + subjunctive (por difícil que sea) and por mucho/más/poco que + subjunctive (por mucho que insistas) are fixed concessive constructions — always subjunctive, no exceptions.
- Aun + gerund (aun sabiendo, aun siendo) compresses a concessive into a participial phrase. Watch the spelling: aun (even) has no accent; aún (still) does.
- Aun cuando is a formal even when / even if; in everyday speech, use aunque.
- The English-speaker trap: even if always points to the subjunctive in Spanish, regardless of how you'd build it in English.
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- Conjunciones causales: porque, como, ya que, puesto queA2 — How to say 'because' in Spanish — porque for the workhorse cause, como for a backgrounded cause at the start of a sentence, ya que and puesto que for shared knowledge, plus por + noun/infinitive for the non-clausal version.
- Conjunciones condicionales: si, a menos queA2 — The three Spanish conditional patterns with si — real (si llueve, no voy), hypothetical (si lloviera, no iría) and counterfactual (si hubiera llovido, no habría ido). With the cardinal rule: never *si tendría.
- Conjunciones finales: para que, para + infinitivo, a fin de que…B1 — How Spanish expresses purpose — the load-bearing same-subject vs different-subject split that decides between para + infinitive and para que + subjunctive, plus a fin de que, con el objeto de, a que, and the idiomatic no vaya a ser que.
- Subjuntivo de concesión: aunque + subjuntivoB2 — Aunque takes subjunctive when the speaker treats the concession as hypothetical, unknown, or already-known-but-de-emphasised, and indicative when presenting it as a verified fact. Por más que, por mucho que and a pesar de que follow related patterns.
- Cómo elegir entre subjuntivo e indicativoB1 — The core mood decision in Spanish. Indicative for asserted facts; subjunctive for wishes, doubts, emotions, future projections, hypotheticals, and indefinite reference. The seven trigger families, the underlying logic that ties them together, and the contrast pairs (creo que viene / no creo que venga; cuando llega / cuando llegue; busco un piso que tiene / que tenga) that train the instinct.
- Errores: evitar el subjuntivoB1 — English speakers default to the indicative everywhere and skip the subjunctive even after its clearest triggers — querer que, espero que, cuando + future, antes de que. The map of every trigger you're missing, with the underlying logic that makes them predictable.