Concession Markers (Embora, Ainda Que)

Concession is the rhetorical move of admitting one point while maintaining another: "Although it's expensive, I'll buy it." Brazilian Portuguese splits its concessive connectors into two structural families, and choosing the wrong one is the single most common error learners make. The family is decided not by meaning — they all translate roughly as "although / even though" — but by what grammatical structure follows: a conjugated subjunctive verb, or a noun/infinitive. Get this distinction exact and concession becomes mechanical. For straightforward "but/however" contrast (which does not admit a point), see Contrast.

Family 1: conjunctions that take the SUBJUNCTIVE

embora, ainda que, and mesmo que are conjunctions. They introduce a full clause with a conjugated verb, and that verb must be in the subjunctive. The logic is the core logic of the subjunctive itself: a concession presents its first clause as hypothetical, downplayed, or not-the-point — it is conceded ground, not asserted fact — so it lives in the realm of the subjunctive.

• embora — "although" (neutral, very common in writing and careful speech)
• ainda que — "even if / even though" (often more hypothetical)
• mesmo que — "even if" (strongly hypothetical, common in speech)

Note the tense pairings: present subjunctive for present/future concessions (embora seja, mesmo que chova), imperfect subjunctive for hypothetical or past-oriented ones (ainda que fosse, "even if it were").

Two more conjunctions belong here. Conquanto is a formal/literary equivalent of embora (also subjunctive). Nem que means "even if (as a last resort) / not even if," and is emphatic and colloquial — also subjunctive.

Family 2: apesar de — takes a NOUN or INFINITIVE

Apesar de is a preposition, not a conjunction. This is the heart of the matter. A preposition cannot be followed by a conjugated clause; it must be followed by a noun, a pronoun, or an infinitive. So you never say "apesar de que é caro" — you say apesar de ser caro (literally "despite being expensive").

That last example uses the personal infinitive (estarmos, "us being"), which lets the infinitive carry a subject — a feature English lacks entirely. When the subject of apesar de differs from the main clause, the personal infinitive makes it clear who is doing what.

There is a conjunctive variant, apesar de que, which does introduce a clause — but in Brazilian usage it typically takes the indicative and sounds colloquial, often tacked on as an afterthought ("though, then again..."). Careful writers avoid it; prefer embora + subjunctive in formal text.

Linking back: mesmo assim / ainda assim

After you've conceded a point, you often want to assert the contrasting one and explicitly link back. mesmo assim and ainda assim both mean "even so / nevertheless." Unlike the connectors above, these are adverbials — they don't trigger any mood; they just open the second, asserted clause.

The half-concession se bem que ("though / then again") is hugely common in speech. It softens or partially retracts what you just said, and in Brazilian Portuguese it usually takes the indicative.

Comparison with English

English uses one word, "although / even though," regardless of what follows ("although it is expensive," "although being expensive"). Portuguese forces a structural choice that English does not:

• English clause "although it's expensive" → conjunction + subjunctive: embora seja caro.
• English "despite the price" → preposition + noun: apesar do preço.
• English "despite being expensive" → preposition + infinitive: apesar de ser caro.

The trap is that English "despite that..." tempts learners to write "apesar de que é," welding a preposition to a conjugated clause. Portuguese forbids this in careful usage. Internalize the part of speech — embora is a conjunction, apesar de is a preposition — and the mood follows automatically.

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• Subjunctive family (conjunctions): embora, ainda que, mesmo que, conquanto (formal), nem que — all take the subjunctive.
• Preposition family: apesar de
  • noun/infinitive (use the personal infinitive when the subject differs).
• Avoid apesar de que in formal writing; if you need a clause, use embora
  • subjunctive.
• mesmo assim / ainda assim ("even so") link back to the conceded point; se bem que ("then again") half-retracts and takes the indicative.