Learn French: Bien que le chant soit beau, il s'oublie. - Although the chant is beautiful, it is being forgotten.

Bien que le chant soit beau, il s'oublie.

Although the chant is beautiful, it is being forgotten.

Breakdown of Bien que le chant soit beau, il s'oublie.

Questions & Answers about Bien que le chant soit beau, il s'oublie.

Why do we use s'oublie instead of est oublié here?

This is the pronominal passive. In French, when an inanimate object (like le chant) undergoes an action, it is very common to use a reflexive verb instead of the standard passive voice. So, il s'oublie literally translates to 'it forgets itself,' but it means 'it is forgotten' or 'it is being forgotten.'

Why is the verb être conjugated as soit instead of est?

The phrase starts with bien que (although / even though), which is a conjunction that always requires the subjunctive mood. soit is the third-person singular subjunctive form of être.

Does il mean 'he' in this sentence?

Not here! The pronoun il can mean 'he' or 'it'. In this case, it refers back to le chant, which is a masculine noun.

What is the difference between le chant and la chanson?

Both relate to singing, but they are used differently. Une chanson is a standard song with lyrics, like a pop or folk song. Le chant is more formal; it can refer to the act or art of singing, classical vocals, a religious chant, or even a bird's song.