French Prepositional Contrast: Using 'malgré' and 'en dépit de' with Nouns and -ing
Learn to express contrast in French using 'malgré' and 'en dépit de' followed by a noun or infinitive, equivalent to English 'despite' and 'in spite of'.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English, 'despite' and 'in spite of' are prepositions that introduce a noun or an -ing form to show contrast: 'Despite the rain, we went out.' French uses similar prepositional structures, but they are followed by a noun or an infinitive, not a gerund. The most common equivalents are 'malgré' (despite) and 'en dépit de' (in spite of). This lesson teaches you to form contrast phrases with these prepositions, distinguish them from conjunctions like 'bien que', and use them accurately in everyday French.
By the end, you can…
- use 'malgré' + noun to express contrast.
- use 'malgré' + infinitive to say 'despite doing something'.
- use 'en dépit de' + noun for a more formal tone.
- avoid confusing 'malgré' with 'bien que'.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Malgré la pluie, nous sommes sortis.
Despite the rain, we went out.
mal-GRAY lah PLWEE, noo som sor-TEE
'Malgré' is followed directly by a noun phrase without any article change. Common in spoken and written French.
Malgré son jeune âge, il est très responsable.
Despite his young age, he is very responsible.
mal-GRAY son zhun AHZH, eel ay tray res-pon-SABL
Use 'malgré' + possessive adjective + noun. No 'de' after 'malgré'.
En dépit de ses efforts, elle a échoué.
In spite of her efforts, she failed.
on day-PEE duh say zay-FOR, el ah ay-shoo-AY
'En dépit de' is more formal than 'malgré' and requires 'de' before the noun. Common in written French.
Malgré le fait d'avoir étudié, il a raté l'examen.
Despite having studied, he failed the exam.
mal-GRAY luh feh dah-vwahr ay-too-DYAY, eel ah rah-TAY leg-zah-MAN
'Malgré' cannot be followed directly by an infinitive. To express 'despite doing something', use 'malgré le fait de' + infinitive, or a clause with 'bien que' + subjunctive. The gerund is never used.
En dépit du mauvais temps, le festival a continué.
In spite of the bad weather, the festival continued.
on day-PEE doo mo-VAY ton, luh fes-tee-VAL ah kon-tee-NOO-ay
'En dépit de' contracts with 'le' to 'du'. Use 'de la' for feminine nouns and 'des' for plural.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is: 'malgré' or 'en dépit de' + noun phrase. Examples: 'Malgré le bruit, j'ai dormi.' (Despite the noise, I slept.) 'En dépit de la fatigue, elle a continué.' (In spite of the fatigue, she continued.) Note that 'malgré' never takes 'de' before a noun: say 'malgré la pluie', not 'malgré de la pluie'. 'En dépit de' always includes 'de', which contracts with definite articles: 'en dépit du froid' (in spite of the cold), 'en dépit des difficultés' (in spite of the difficulties). Neither preposition can be followed directly by an infinitive; to express 'despite doing something', use 'malgré le fait de' + infinitive, or a full clause with 'bien que' + subjunctive.
When to use it
Use these prepositions when you want to present a contrasting circumstance as a noun phrase, not as a full clause. They are equivalent to English 'despite' and 'in spite of'. For example, 'Malgré la circulation, nous sommes arrivés à l'heure.' (Despite the traffic, we arrived on time.) If you need a full clause with a subject and verb, use a conjunction like 'bien que' + subjunctive: 'Bien que la circulation ait été dense, nous sommes arrivés à l'heure.' (Although the traffic was heavy, we arrived on time.) 'Malgré' is neutral and common; 'en dépit de' is more formal and often appears in writing. In Quebec French, 'malgré' is used similarly, but 'en dépit de' may sound more literary.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Tu es venu malgré la grève des trains ?
Did you come despite the train strike?too ay vuh-NOO mal-GRAY lah grev day tranOui, malgré la grève, j'ai pris le bus.
Yes, despite the strike, I took the bus.wee, mal-GRAY lah grev, zhay pree luh boossEn dépit de tout, tu es arrivé à l'heure.
In spite of everything, you arrived on time.on day-PEE duh too, too ay ah-ree-VAY ah luhrOui, malgré les difficultés, je préfère venir.
Yes, despite the difficulties, I prefer to come.wee, mal-GRAY lay dee-fee-kool-TAY, zhuh pray-FEHR vuh-NEERA little context goes a long way
In French, 'malgré' and 'en dépit de' are prepositions and are followed by a noun phrase, not by a clause with a conjugated verb. This differs from English, where 'despite' can be followed by a gerund ('despite being tired'). French does not use a gerund here; it uses a noun phrase, or 'malgré le fait de' + infinitive, or a clause with 'bien que' + subjunctive. Also, 'en dépit de' is more formal and less common in everyday speech than 'malgré'. In Quebec, 'malgré' is widely used, but 'en dépit de' may sound bookish. When in doubt, use 'malgré' for neutral contexts.
One thing to watch for
Using 'malgré que' followed by a clause, as in 'Malgré qu'il pleuve, nous sortons.'
Try this instead: 'Malgré que' is considered incorrect by many grammarians. Use 'bien que' + subjunctive for a clause: 'Bien qu'il pleuve, nous sortons.' For a noun phrase, use 'malgré' + noun: 'Malgré la pluie, nous sortons.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1Translate: 'Despite the noise, she slept.'
Show a sample answer
Malgré le bruit, elle a dormi.
'Malgré' + noun phrase 'le bruit'. The verb is in passé composé. Alternative: 'En dépit du bruit, elle a dormi.' (more formal).
2Translate: 'In spite of being tired, he continued.'
Show a sample answer
Malgré le fait d'être fatigué, il a continué.
'Malgré' cannot be followed directly by an infinitive. Use 'malgré le fait de' + infinitive, or a clause with 'bien que' + subjunctive: 'Bien qu'il fût fatigué, il a continué.'
3Which is correct: 'malgré la pluie' or 'malgré de la pluie'?
Show a sample answer
malgré la pluie
'Malgré' is followed directly by the noun phrase without 'de'. 'Malgré de la pluie' is incorrect. 'En dépit de la pluie' is the correct form with 'de'.
Use 'malgré' + noun or infinitive for everyday contrast, and 'en dépit de' + noun for a formal tone. Never use 'malgré que' with a clause; switch to 'bien que' + subjunctive.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s French into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr