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Pour éprouvante que soit l'expédition, nous partons demain.

Pour éprouvante que soit l'expédition, nous partons demain.
However grueling the expedition may be, we are leaving tomorrow.
From Lesson 431:Advanced concession (pour + adjective + que)·French

Questions & Answers about Pour éprouvante que soit l'expédition, nous partons demain.

How does pour éprouvante que translate to "however grueling"?
This is a formal structure for concession. The pattern pour + [adjective] + que means "however [adjective]" or "no matter how [adjective]". It emphasizes the adjective, showing that despite this extreme quality, the main action will still happen.
Why is the verb before the subject in soit l'expédition?
In the pour... que structure, you generally invert the verb and the subject when the subject is a noun. It follows the pattern: pour + adjective + que + verb + noun subject. If the subject were a pronoun, you would use standard order instead: pour éprouvante qu'elle soit.
Why is soit in the subjunctive mood here?
The expression pour... que always triggers the subjunctive. It sets up a hypothetical extreme or a concession, which is a classic use case for the subjunctive mood in French.
Does éprouvante have to agree with l'expédition even though they are separated?
Yes. Even though the adjective is moved to the front of the clause after pour, it is still the adjective describing l'expédition. Since the noun is feminine singular, the adjective takes the feminine singular form éprouvante.
Why use the present tense nous partons for an action happening tomorrow?
Just like in English, French often uses the present tense to describe a firm, scheduled plan in the near future. Saying nous partons demain is perfectly natural and implies that the decision to leave is finalized.

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