Concession

même si

StandardB1

What follows

même si + a clause in the indicative

Function

Concession

Meaning

Grants a fact, real or supposed, that does not change what follows. Takes the INDICATIVE.

Position and punctuation

at the start of the sentence · a comma after

Example

Même si le tarif a augmenté, l'abonnement reste intéressant.

Even if the price has gone up, the subscription is still worth it.

In the DELF

the B1 letter · the B2 essay · the B2 oral presentation

The trap

The INDICATIVE, and that is the trap: bien que takes the subjunctive, même si NEVER does. Write "même s'il EST tard", never "même s'il soit tard".