aún así
Lemma Details
Translation: even so; nevertheless; nonetheless; still; yet
Part of Speech: conjunction
Etymology: Composed of 'aún' (even, still) and 'así' (so, thus). 'Aún' derives from Latin 'adhuc' meaning 'until now, still', while 'así' comes from Latin 'ad sic' meaning 'to this manner'. The combination creates a concessive conjunction that acknowledges a contrary fact but maintains the original position.
Commonality: 80%
Guessability: 50%
Register: neutral
Example Usage
Sabía que era peligroso, aún así decidió hacerlo.
He knew it was dangerous, even so he decided to do it.
No tenemos suficiente dinero, aún así podemos intentarlo.
We don't have enough money, nevertheless we can try.
Estaba lloviendo mucho, aún así salimos a caminar.
It was raining heavily, still we went out for a walk.
Mnemonics
- Think of 'aún' as 'even' and 'así' as 'so' = 'even so'
- Remember it as 'still this way' - acknowledging something but maintaining your position
Related Words, Phrases & Idioms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Cultural Context
Widely used in both formal and informal Spanish discourse to express contrast or concession. It's an important connector in argumentative speech and writing.
Easily Confused With
Explanation: While 'aún así' connects two complete clauses and emphasizes contrast despite a previous statement, 'aunque' introduces a subordinate clause and means 'although' or 'even though'.
Notes: 'Aún así' is stronger in emphasizing the contrast between two statements.
Mnemonic: 'Aún así' connects two complete thoughts with a comma, while 'aunque' introduces a dependent clause.
Explanation: 'Aún así' expresses contrast (nevertheless), while 'así que' expresses consequence (so, therefore).
This word:
No había estudiado, aún así aprobó el examen.
He hadn't studied, nevertheless he passed the exam.
Confused word:
No había estudiado, así que suspendió el examen.
He hadn't studied, so he failed the exam.
Notes: These phrases have almost opposite meanings despite looking similar.
Mnemonic: 'Aún así' goes against expectations, while 'así que' follows logical consequences.