Whatever, wherever, whoever: quoi que, où que, qui que

French has no -ever. Whatever, wherever, whoever and however are separate structures, and every one of them takes the subjunctive.

A concession clause names a whole range of possibilities to say none of them changes the outcome. Nothing in it is asserted, which is the subjunctive's job, as with bien que on the conjunctions page.

Quoi que: whatever

Quoi que stands in for a thing, usually the object of the verb:

• Quoi que tu fasses, je te soutiendrai. - Whatever you do, I will back you.
• Quoi que vous en pensiez, la décision est prise. - Whatever you think of it, the decision is made.

Three set phrases are worth learning whole:

Quoique or quoi que?

Two spellings, both followed by the subjunctive, so the mood will not save you:

The clue is the gap. After quoi que, the verb is missing something, usually its object, because quoi fills that slot. After quoique, the clause is complete:

Où que and qui que

Où que is wherever, and qui que is whoever. Same pattern, same mood:

• Où que tu ailles, je te trouverai. - Wherever you go, I will find you.
• D'où qu'il vienne, il est le bienvenu. - Wherever he comes from, he is welcome.
• Qui que vous soyez, vous devez attendre. - Whoever you are, you have to wait.

Qui que ce soit on its own means anyone at all: Ne le dis à qui que ce soit. - Don't tell anyone at all.