Concessive Clauses (αν και / παρόλο που / μολονότι)
A concessive clause CONCEDES a fact and then says something happens ANYWAY - English “although / even though”. Greek has three linkers, all followed by the plain INDICATIVE (they state something real, not hypothetical): αν και (the everyday, neutral choice), παρόλο που (a little more emphatic, “despite the fact that”), and μολονότι (formal / literary). «Αν και είναι κουρασμένος, δουλεύει» (although he is tired, he works), «Παρόλο που βρέχει, έρχεται» (even though it is raining, he is coming), «Μολονότι είναι πλούσιος, δεν είναι ευτυχισμένος» (although he is rich, he is not happy). Watch two things: αν και is TWO words (αν + και) and is NOT the conditional αν “if” - the added και (“even”) turns it into “although”, and the clause is a FACT, not a hypothesis; and because the concession is real, the verb is always INDICATIVE, never να.
The rule
A concessive clause concedes a fact and then says the main thing happens anyway - English “although / even though”. Greek has three linkers, all followed by the plain indicative (a concession states something real, never a hypothesis): αν και (everyday, neutral), παρόλο που (a touch more emphatic, “despite the fact that”), and μολονότι (formal / literary). Αν και είναι κουρασμένος, δουλεύει (“although he is tired, he works”); Παρόλο που βρέχει, έρχεται; Μολονότι είναι πλούσιος, δεν είναι ευτυχισμένος. Two cautions: αν και is TWO words (αν + και) and is not the conditional αν “if” (Module 10) - the added και makes it “although”, and the clause is a fact; and because the concession is real, the verb is the indicative, never να.