To express "however" or "whatever" in advanced, formal French, use the construction quelque... que. It always triggers the subjunctive mood.
"However" with adjectives
When paired with an adjective, quelque means "however." Because it acts as an adverb, it is invariable—it never changes form. The subject and verb are typically inverted.
| However deep the trench is, the submarine descends. | Quelque profonde que soit la fosse, le sous-marin descend. |
| However modern the submarine is, the ocean is dangerous. | Quelque moderne que soit le sous-marin, l'océan est dangereux. |
"Whatever" with nouns
When followed by a noun, quelque means "whatever." Because it modifies the noun directly, it must agree in number. Add an -s if the noun is plural (quelques).
| Whatever giant squids the sonar detects, the crew remains calm. | Quelques calmars géants que le sonar détecte, l'équipage reste calme. |
"However" with adverbs
You can also use quelque with an adverb to mean "however [adverb]" an action is performed. Like with adjectives, quelque remains invariable here.
| However silently the propeller turns, the squid approaches the porthole. | Quelque silencieusement que tourne l'hélice, le calmar s'approche du hublot. |
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