The French forms quoique and quoi que sound alike, but they do not mean the same thing. The first is usually a conjunction meaning “although” or “though.” The second means “whatever” or “no matter what.”

The spelling depends on the meaning and on the role of the phrase in the sentence.

Quoique: “although” or “though”

Quoique is one word when it introduces a contrast. It is close in meaning to bien que, which also means “although” or “though.”

It is normally followed by the subjunctive when it introduces a full clause.

• Quoique tu sois fatigué, tu dois finir ce travail. “Although you are tired, you must finish this work.”
• Quoique ce soit difficile, nous allons essayer. “Although it is difficult, we are going to try.”
• Quoique je comprenne ton point de vue, je ne suis pas d’accord. “Although I understand your point of view, I do not agree.”
• Quoique l’idée soit bonne, elle sera difficile à mettre en pratique. “Although the idea is good, it will be hard to put into practice.”
• Quoique nous ayons peu de temps, nous pouvons encore réussir. “Although we have little time, we can still succeed.”

The word quoique can also introduce a shorter phrase with an adjective, noun or past participle.

• Quoique fatigué, il a continué à marcher. “Although tired, he continued walking.”
• Quoique jeune, elle a beaucoup d’expérience. “Although young, she has a lot of experience.”
• Quoique médecin, il ne connaît pas tous les traitements. “Although he is a doctor, he does not know every treatment.”
• Quoique surpris, je n’ai rien dit. “Although surprised, I said nothing.”
• Quoique très riche, il mène une vie simple. “Although very rich, he lives a simple life.”

In these examples, the phrase introduced by quoique describes a fact that might seem to conflict with the main statement.

Quoique and bien que

Quoique and bien que often have the same meaning. Both usually take the subjunctive.

• Bien qu’il soit tard, elle continue de travailler. “Although it is late, she continues to work.”
• Quoique ce soit tard, elle continue de travailler. “Although it is late, she continues to work.”

Bien que is more common in many kinds of writing. Quoique is also standard, but it can sound a little more formal or literary in some sentences.

Quoique and même si

Même si means “even if” or “even though,” but it is followed by the indicative, not the subjunctive.

• Même s’il est fatigué, il continuera. “Even if he is tired, he will continue.”
• Quoiqu’il soit fatigué, il continuera. “Although he is tired, he will continue.”

The difference is not always large in English, but the French grammar is different:

• Même si tu as raison, je ne changerai pas d’avis. “Even if you are right, I will not change my mind.”
• Quoique tu aies raison, je ne changerai pas d’avis. “Although you are right, I will not change my mind.”

Quoique at the end of a sentence

In spoken French, quoique can appear alone at the end of a sentence. It then means something like “although,” “though,” or “on second thought.” The speaker leaves the rest of the thought unstated.

• Ce film est un peu long. Quoique… “This film is a little long. Although…”
• Je ne pense pas qu’il viendra. Quoique, il pourrait changer d’avis. “I do not think he will come. Although he might change his mind.”
• Ce n’est pas une mauvaise idea. Quoique… “It is not a bad idea. Then again…”

This use is common in speech and informal writing. It often signals a change or slight correction in the speaker’s thought.

Quoi que: “whatever” or “no matter what”

Quoi que is written as two words when it means “whatever” or “no matter what.”

Here, quoi is a pronoun. It refers to a thing, fact or action, and que introduces the rest of the clause. The verb that follows is normally in the subjunctive.

• Quoi que tu dises, je te croirai. “Whatever you say, I will believe you.”
• Quoi que tu fasses, reste calme. “Whatever you do, stay calm.”
• Quoi qu’il arrive, nous resterons ensemble. “No matter what happens, we will stay together.”
• Quoi que vous décidiez, nous respecterons votre choix. “Whatever you decide, we will respect your choice.”
• Quoi que l’on pense de lui, il a réussi. “Whatever one thinks of him, he has succeeded.”

The phrase often means that the result does not depend on the choice, action or event named in the subordinate clause.

Common patterns with quoi que

The most common pattern is:

quoi que + subject + subjunctive

• Quoi que tu veuilles, je t’aiderai. “Whatever you want, I will help you.”
• Quoi que vous pensiez, cette décision est nécessaire. “Whatever you think, this decision is necessary.”
• Quoi qu’elle fasse, elle trouve toujours une solution. “Whatever she does, she always finds a solution.”
• Quoi qu’ils aient dit, nous devons examine the facts. “Whatever they said, we must examine the facts.”

Another common pattern is:

quoi que ce soit + clause

This means “anything,” “whatever it may be” or “anything at all,” depending on the sentence.

• Si tu as besoin de quoi que ce soit, appelle-moi. “If you need anything at all, call me.”
• Je ne veux pas entendre quoi que ce soit à ce sujet. “I do not want to hear anything about it.”
• Avez-vous remarqué quoi que ce soit d’étrange ? “Did you notice anything strange?”
• Il fera quoi que ce soit pour réussir. “He will do anything to succeed.”

The related expression quoi que ce soit can also appear in a negative sentence.

• Je n’ai rien vu, quoi que ce soit d’inhabituel. “I saw nothing unusual.”
• Elle ne dira jamais quoi que ce soit contre lui. “She will never say anything against him.”

The main test

Ask whether the phrase means “although” or “whatever.”

Use quoique when the sentence expresses contrast:

• Quoique je sois malade, je vais travailler. “Although I am ill, I am going to work.”

Use quoi que when the sentence means “whatever” or “no matter what”:

• Quoi que je fasse, je ne peux pas réparer cette machine. “Whatever I do, I cannot repair this machine.”

A useful replacement test is:

• If you can replace it with bien que, write quoique.
• If you can replace it with peu importe ce que, write quoi que.

Compare:

• Quoique tu sois jeune, tu es très responsable. “Although you are young, you are very responsible.”
• Quoi que tu fasses, tu dois être honnête. “Whatever you do, you must be honest.”

The first sentence contrasts youth with responsibility. The second says that the same rule applies to every possible action.

Quoique and quoiqu’

Before a vowel sound, quoique is shortened to quoiqu’. It remains one word.

• Quoiqu’il soit tard, nous allons partir. “Although it is late, we are going to leave.”
• Quoiqu’elle ait peu d’expérience, elle works very well. “Although she has little experience, she works very well.”
• Quoiqu’on en pense, le plan est realistic. “Whatever one may think of it, the plan is realistic.”

The apostrophe does not mean that the phrase is written as quoi que. It is still the single word quoique.

By contrast, quoi que remains two words before a vowel sound.

• Quoi qu’il arrive, ne réponds pas. “No matter what happens, do not answer.”
• Quoi qu’elle fasse, elle reste polie. “Whatever she does, she remains polite.”
• Quoi qu’on en dise, cette solution est possible. “Whatever people may say, this solution is possible.”

Compare these pairs:

• Quoiqu’il soit malade, il est venu. “Although he is ill, he came.”
• Quoi qu’il dise, je ne le croirai pas. “Whatever he says, I will not believe him.”

In the first sentence, the meaning is “although.” In the second, the meaning is “whatever.”

Frequent mistakes

A common mistake is to write quoi que when the meaning is “although.”

• Incorrect: Quoi que je sois fatigué, je vais continuer.
• Correct: Quoique je sois fatigué, je vais continuer. “Although I am tired, I am going to continue.”

Another mistake is to write quoique when the meaning is “whatever.”

• Incorrect: Quoique tu fasses, je te soutiendrai.
• Correct: Quoi que tu fasses, je te soutiendrai. “Whatever you do, I will support you.”

The following pairs show the difference:

• Quoique tu sois en retard, tu peux encore entrer. “Although you are late, you can still come in.”
• Quoi que tu fasses, ne sois pas en retard. “Whatever you do, do not be late.”
• Quoique le voyage soit long, nous partirons demain. “Although the journey is long, we will leave tomorrow.”
• Quoi que tu choisisses, le voyage sera long. “Whatever you choose, the journey will be long.”
• Quoique ce soit cher, je vais l’acheter. “Although it is expensive, I am going to buy it.”
• Quoi que cela coûte, je vais l’acheter. “Whatever it costs, I am going to buy it.”

Similar expressions

The following expressions can often replace quoique:

• Bien que means “although” or “though.”
• Même si means “even if” or “even though.”
• Malgré le fait que means “despite the fact that,” but it is longer and more formal.
• En dépit du fait que means “despite the fact that” and is more formal still.
• Pourtant means “yet” or “however,” but it does not introduce a subordinate clause in the same way.

Examples:

• Bien qu’il pleuve, nous sortirons. “Although it is raining, we will go out.”
• Même s’il pleut, nous sortirons. “Even if it rains, we will go out.”
• Malgré le fait qu’il pleuve, nous sortirons. “Despite the fact that it is raining, we will go out.”
• Il pleut. Pourtant, nous sortirons. “It is raining. Yet we will go out.”

The following expressions can often replace quoi que:

• Peu importe ce que means “no matter what.”
• Quel que soit means “whatever” or “regardless of which,” and agrees with the noun that follows.
• Quelle que soit is used with a feminine singular noun.
• Quels que soient is used with a masculine plural noun.
• Quelles que soient is used with a feminine plural noun.
• Indépendamment de ce que means “regardless of what,” but it is more formal.

Examples:

• Peu importe ce que tu dis, je connais la vérité. “No matter what you say, I know the truth.”
• Quel que soit ton choix, je le respecterai. “Whatever your choice, I will respect it.”
• Quelle que soit la raison, il faut partir. “Whatever the reason, we must leave.”
• Quels que soient les résultats, nous continuerons. “Whatever the results, we will continue.”
• Quelles que soient les difficultés, elle ne renoncera pas. “Whatever the difficulties, she will not give up.”

A note on quel que soit

Quel que soit should not be confused with quoi que.

Use quoi que when it refers to an action, fact or unspecified thing:

• Quoi que tu fasses, sois prudent. “Whatever you do, be careful.”

Use quel que soit when it comes before a noun:

• Quel que soit le problème, nous le résoudrons. “Whatever the problem, we will solve it.”
• Quelle que soit la cause, il faut agir. “Whatever the cause, we must act.”

The form of quel que soit changes to agree with the noun:

• Quel que soit le résultat, nous accepterons la décision. “Whatever the result, we will accept the decision.”
• Quelle que soit la réponse, elle sera utile. “Whatever the answer, it will be useful.”
• Quels que soient les obstacles, ils avanceront. “Whatever the obstacles, they will move forward.”
• Quelles que soient les conditions, il viendra. “Whatever the conditions, he will come.”

Summary

• Quoique is one word and means “although” or “though.”
• Quoiqu’ is the shortened form of quoique before a vowel sound.
• Quoi que is two words and means “whatever” or “no matter what.”
• Quoique expresses contrast.
• Quoi que refers to any possible action, fact or thing.
• Quoique is often close to bien que.
• Quoi que is often close to peu importe ce que.
• Quel que soit is used before a noun and must agree with that noun.