aunque
“aunque” means “although” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
although, even though
Also: despite the fact that
📝 In Action
Aunque llueve, voy a salir a caminar.
A2Even though it's raining, I'm going to go for a walk.
Me compró un regalo, aunque era mi cumpleaños.
A2He bought me a gift, although it wasn't my birthday.
Aunque el examen fue difícil, creo que aprobé.
B1Although the exam was difficult, I think I passed.
even if
Also: whether or not
📝 In Action
Aunque llueva mañana, saldremos a caminar.
B1Even if it rains tomorrow, we will go for a walk.
Te ayudaré aunque no me lo pidas.
B1I will help you even if you don't ask me to.
Aunque sea difícil, voy a intentarlo.
B2Even if it's difficult, I'm going to try.
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: aunque
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence means 'Even if it's expensive, I'm going to buy it.' (I don't know the price yet).
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🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Old Spanish 'aun que', which is a combination of 'aun' (from Latin 'adhuc', meaning 'still' or 'yet') and 'que' (from Latin 'quid', meaning 'what'). It literally meant something like 'still what' or 'even so'.
First recorded: 12th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What's the simple difference between 'aunque llueve' and 'aunque llueva'?
It's all about fact vs. possibility. 'Aunque llueve' means 'Even though it IS raining' (a fact, you can see it). 'Aunque llueva' means 'Even if it rains' (a possibility, maybe it will, maybe it won't).
Can I always just use 'a pesar de que' instead of 'aunque'?
You can often use 'a pesar de que' when you mean 'even though' (the first definition). It's a bit more formal but works well. However, it sounds less natural when you mean 'even if' (the second definition).