Subjunctive in Concessive Clauses: Fact vs. Hypothesis

Concessive clauses introduce an obstacle or difficulty that does not prevent the action of the main clause from happening. They often start with conjunctions like aunque (although, even if), a pesar de que (despite the fact that), or aun cuando (even when).

The choice between the indicative and the subjunctive in these clauses is crucial and depends entirely on the speaker's perspective on the information.

The Core Rule: Fact vs. Hypothesis

1. Use the INDICATIVE when the obstacle is a known fact or accepted reality. The speaker is acknowledging a real, existing situation.

• Aunque **está** lloviendo, voy a salir.

• (Although it is raining, I'm going out.)

• Context: The speaker sees the rain. It's a fact.

• A pesar de que el examen **fue** difícil, creo que aprobé.

• (Despite the fact that the exam was difficult, I think I passed.)

• Context: The speaker has taken the exam and knows its difficulty.

2. Use the SUBJUNCTIVE when the obstacle is hypothetical, uncertain, or irrelevant. The speaker is considering a potential future situation, something they doubt, or something whose reality doesn't matter to the outcome.

• Aunque **llueva** mañana, voy a salir.

• (Even if it rains tomorrow, I'm going out.)

• Context: The speaker doesn't know if it will rain. It's a hypothesis.

• No me escuchará, aunque se lo **digas** mil veces.

• (He won't listen to me, even if you tell him a thousand times.)

• Context: The outcome (he won't listen) is certain, making the obstacle (you telling him) irrelevant or hypothetical.

For Your Awareness: A Common Pattern

When reading, you will often see constructions like por + [adjective/adverb] + que. These almost always take the subjunctive because they express a generalized, hypothetical concession.

• Por muy listo que **sea**, no podrá resolver este enigma. (No matter how smart he may be, he won't be able to solve this enigma.)

This drill will focus exclusively on the main rule of Fact (Indicative) vs. Hypothesis (Subjunctive).