Both “despite” and “in spite of” can usually be translated into French with the same expressions. They indicate contrast or opposition to what is normally expected. The most common translations are “malgré,” “en dépit de,” and “quand même.” Each has its own typical context.

Malgré

“Malgré” is the most straightforward and frequent translation of “despite” and “in spite of.” It is followed directly by a noun or pronoun.

Examples:

• Malgré la pluie, ils sont sortis.
  Despite the rain, they went out.
• Malgré sa fatigue, elle a continué à travailler.
  In spite of her tiredness, she kept working.
• Il a réussi malgré ses difficultés.
  He succeeded despite his difficulties.

En dépit de

“En dépit de” is more formal than “malgré,” but it carries the same meaning. It is often found in writing, literature, or official speech.

Examples:

• En dépit de ses efforts, il n’a pas gagné.
  In spite of his efforts, he did not win.
• En dépit de leur opposition, le projet a été accepté.
  Despite their opposition, the project was accepted.
• En dépit du danger, ils ont continué leur mission.
  In spite of the danger, they continued their mission.

Quand même

“Quand même” is less direct but very common in spoken French. It usually comes after the main clause to highlight that something was done regardless of the obstacle. It often translates as “anyway” or “all the same,” but in some contexts it reflects the same idea as “despite” or “in spite of.”

Examples:

• Il était malade, mais il est venu quand même.
  He was sick, but he came despite that.
• Elle avait peur, mais elle a parlé quand même.
  She was afraid, but she spoke in spite of it.
• Le film était long, je l’ai regardé jusqu’à la fin quand même.
  The film was long, but I watched it to the end despite that.

Using verbs after “despite” and “in spite of”

In English, we often say “despite doing something” or “in spite of doing something.” In French, this requires either “malgré le fait de” or a reformulation.

Examples:

• Despite being tired, he finished his work.
  Malgré sa fatigue, il a terminé son travail.
• In spite of studying hard, she failed the exam.
  En dépit de tous ses efforts pour étudier, elle a échoué à l’examen.
• Despite not liking sports, she came to the match.
  Bien qu’elle n’aime pas le sport, elle est venue au match.