pourtant

French

Etymology

Univerbation of pour (for) +‎ tant (so much).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /puʁ.tɑ̃/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Audio (France (Lyon)):(file)

Adverb

pourtant

  1. however, yet
    • 1837, Louis Viardot, L’Ingénieux Hidalgo Don Quichotte de la Manchefr.Wikisource, translation of El ingenioso hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Chapter II:
      Pourtant, ce qui l’inquiétait le plus, c’était de ne pas se voir armé chevalier ; car il lui semblait qu’il ne pouvait légitimement s’engager dans aucune aventure sans avoir reçu l’ordre de chevalerie.
      However, what worried him the most was not having been dubbed a knight; for it seemed to him that he could not legitimately engage in any adventure without having received the order of knighthood.
    • 1968, Gérard Bourgeois, Jean-Max Rivière, “Le diable est anglais”, performed by Brigitte Bardot:
      Tu ne me crois pas et pourtant c'est vrai / Mais entre nous tu peux penser ce qu'il te plait
      (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Usage notes

Not to be confused with pour autant.

Descendants

  • Dutch: pertang (regional, Belgium and southern Netherlands)
  • Limburgish: pertang
  • West Flemish: pertang, pertank, pertanks
  • Zealandic: pertan, pertant

Further reading

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