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Il voit l'imperfection, mais il porte tout de même ce pull.

Il voit l'imperfection, mais il porte tout de même ce pull.
He sees the imperfection, but he wears this sweater all the same.
From Lesson 332:Concession adverbs (quand même)·French

Questions & Answers about Il voit l'imperfection, mais il porte tout de même ce pull.

Why is tout de même placed right after porte instead of at the end of the sentence?
In French, concession connectors like tout de même and quand même are typically placed immediately after the conjugated verb (here, porte) rather than at the very end of the sentence. While you might occasionally hear it at the end in spoken French, putting it after the verb is the standard and most natural-sounding position.
Could I use quand même instead of tout de même here?
Yes, absolutely! quand même and tout de même mean exactly the same thing ("all the same", "anyway", or "still"). The only difference is that tout de même sounds slightly more formal or elegant, while quand même is more common in everyday spoken French.
Isn't it redundant to use both mais (but) and tout de même (all the same) in the same sentence?
It might seem a bit repetitive in English, but it is very common and natural in French. Using mais along with tout de même (or quand même) emphasizes the contrast, similar to saying "but he still wears this sweater anyway" in English.
Is pull just the English word "pull"?
It comes from English, but it is short for "pullover." In French, un pull is the standard, everyday word for a sweater or jumper. Note that it is pronounced with a French vowel sound, unlike the English verb "pull".

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