Meaning
although, though
- albeit
In a sentence
Sebbene sia tardi, resto ancora un po'.
Although it's late, I'm staying a bit longer.
Sebbene abbia piovuto, siamo usciti lo stesso.
Although it rained, we went out anyway.
Vieni, sebbene tu non abbia molto tempo?
Are you coming, even though you don't have much time?
Usage notes
- Usually takes the subjunctive: sebbene sia, sebbene abbia. Using the indicative sounds nonstandard or careless in most contexts.
- More formal and literary than anche se. In everyday speech, Italians often prefer anche se, especially in conversation.
- Unlike nonostante, sebbene introduces a full clause, not just a noun phrase: sebbene piova, but nonostante la pioggia.