pourtant
/puʁ.tɑ̃/
however
Il fait beau, pourtant il pleut.
It's sunny, yet it's raining.
formalinformal
Used to introduce a contrast or contradiction between two ideas or facts.
Elle a beaucoup travaillé, pourtant elle a échoué.
She worked very hard, yet she failed.
C'est un bon film, pourtant certains critiques ne l'aiment pas.
It's a good movie, yet some critics don't like it.
Often used to express surprise or to emphasize an unexpected outcome.
Collocations
pourtant queeven thoughpourtant bien queeven though
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Contrastive Usage
Use 'pourtant' to highlight an unexpected or contrasting situation.
Word Origin
From Old French 'por tant', meaning 'for so much' or 'to such an extent'. The modern usage as a contrastive adverb developed in the 16th century.
Usage Notes
Can be used at the beginning or in the middle of a sentence. Often followed by a comma for clarity.
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais