Bien que ce studio soit petit, il est plus calme que le premier.

Bien que means although or even though.

It introduces a contrast:

• Bien que ce studio soit petit = Although this studio is small
• il est plus calme que le premier = it is quieter than the first one

It is a slightly more formal or written-sounding way to express contrast than some other options in French.

Because bien que normally requires the subjunctive in French.

So:

• est = indicative
• soit = subjunctive

After bien que, French uses the subjunctive because the clause is presented as a concession, not just a plain factual statement.

Soit is the present subjunctive form of the verb être for il / elle / on.

In this sentence:

• ce studio is singular
• so the verb takes the singular form soit

It comes from être:

• que je sois
• que tu sois
• qu’il/elle/on soit
• que nous soyons
• que vous soyez
• qu’ils/elles soient

French uses:

• ce before most masculine singular nouns
• cet before masculine singular nouns that begin with a vowel sound or a mute h

Since studio begins with the consonant sound st-, you use ce:

• ce studio
• but cet appartement

Here, studio means a studio apartment or one-room flat/apartment.

French studio can also mean studio in other contexts, such as an art or recording studio, but in a housing sentence like this one, it usually means a small apartment.

Also, studio is masculine in French:

• ce studio
• un studio

Because studio is masculine singular, the adjectives must agree with it.

So you get:

• petit = masculine singular
• calme = masculine singular

A useful detail:

• petit changes in the feminine: petite
• calme often looks the same in masculine and feminine singular: calme

If the noun were feminine, you might have something like:

• Bien que cette pièce soit petite...

This is the standard French comparative pattern:

plus + adjective + que = more + adjective + than

So:

• plus calme que = quieter than / literally more calm than

Examples:

• plus grand que = bigger than
• plus cher que = more expensive than
• plus calme que = quieter than

The two que forms do different jobs.

1. In bien que, que is part of the fixed expression bien que = although
2. In plus calme que, que means than in a comparison

So even though the word is the same, its function is different in each part of the sentence.

Le premier means the first one.

It refers back to an earlier masculine noun, probably the first apartment or first studio being compared.

French often avoids repeating the noun if it is already clear from context. So instead of saying:

• que le premier studio

French can simply say:

• que le premier

Because studio is masculine singular, it is:

• le premier

If the noun were feminine, it would be:

• la première

French often uses a pronoun to refer back to a noun that was just mentioned.

So:

• ce studio introduces the subject
• il then refers back to ce studio

This makes the sentence sound natural and avoids repetition.

You could repeat the noun, but it would sound heavier:

• Bien que ce studio soit petit, ce studio est plus calme...

Using il is the normal choice.

Yes, in many situations you could say:

Même si ce studio est petit, il est plus calme que le premier.

That would also mean Even if / Even though this studio is small, it is quieter than the first one.

The important difference is:

• bien que is followed by the subjunctive: soit
• même si is usually followed by the indicative: est

Also, bien que often sounds a bit more formal or literary than même si.

Yes. In the context of an apartment, calme is very natural and usually means:

• quiet
• peaceful
• not noisy

So plus calme suggests the studio has less noise, perhaps from traffic, neighbors, or the street.

French can also use words related to noise more directly in some contexts, but calme is a very common and natural choice for housing descriptions.