Purpose, what something is done for
A purpose clause (le but) says what something is done for. The subject decides. If the second action belongs to the same person, French uses the infinitive (to, in order to). If it belongs to someone else, French uses a clause with que and the subjunctive (so that).
pour, afin de, pour que, afin que
Je pars tôt pour éviter les embouteillages.
I leave early to avoid the traffic jams.
Elle révise chaque soir afin de réussir son examen.
She revises every evening in order to pass her exam.
Parle moins fort pour ne pas réveiller le bébé.
Speak more quietly so as not to wake the baby.
Le prof répète pour que tout le monde comprenne.
The teacher repeats it so that everyone understands.
Nous partons tôt afin que les enfants ne soient pas fatigués.
We are leaving early so that the children won't be tired.
Concession, what holds anyway
A concession (la concession) says: one thing is true, and yet the expected result does not follow. Which word you pick depends on what comes after it.
The tools of concession
| Expression | Meaning | Construction |
|---|---|---|
| pourtant | yet, and still | a clause of its own |
| quand même | all the same, anyway | after the verb, in the passé composé after the auxiliary |
| malgré | despite, in spite of | noun |
| bien que | although | clause with the subjunctive (unlike English although) |
| même si | even if | clause with the indicative |
What follows what?
Concession in everyday use
Il a beaucoup travaillé ; pourtant il a raté l'examen.
He worked a lot; yet he failed the exam.
C'était cher, mais j'ai quand même acheté le billet.
It was expensive, but I bought the ticket anyway.
Malgré son âge, elle court un marathon par an.
Despite her age, she runs a marathon every year.
Bien que nous soyons fatigués, nous finissons ce soir.
Although we are tired, we are finishing tonight.
Même s'il pleut, nous irons à la plage.
Even if it rains, we'll go to the beach.
