A concessive clause admits an obstacle and then tells you the main action happens anyway. Although it rained, we went out. The concessive does not deny the rain — it concedes it, then overrides it. Portuguese has a rich inventory of concessive conjunctions, each selecting a specific mood (subjunctive, infinitive, or indicative), and each carrying its own register. Picking the right one is not just about grammar — it is about how you frame the obstacle. This page gives you the complete system.
What a concessive clause does
A concessive clause flags a fact or possibility that ought to block the main action but does not. The structure is always:
Concessive clause (the obstacle) + main clause (what happens anyway)
Embora estivesse cansado, saiu à noite.
Although he was tired, he went out at night.
Apesar da chuva, fomos dar um passeio.
Despite the rain, we went for a walk.
In each case, the second clause overrides the first. That is the logic of concession.
The core rule: most concessive conjunctions take the subjunctive
Here is the rule that organises everything: most Portuguese concessive conjunctions require the subjunctive. Why? Because the concessive clause is hypothetical or unasserted — you are not claiming the obstacle as a simple fact; you are entertaining it to dismiss it.
The subjunctive-selecting group is the biggest. Learn these six first:
| Conjunction | Meaning | Register |
|---|---|---|
| embora | although | neutral |
| ainda que | even if / even though | neutral/literary |
| mesmo que | even if | neutral |
| por mais que | however much / no matter how much | neutral |
| por muito que | however much (same as por mais que) | neutral |
| posto que | although (European PT) / since (Brazilian PT) | formal/literary |
| nem que | even if (strong, emphatic) | neutral/informal |
Embora + subjunctive: the default concessive
Embora is the most common concessive in careful speech and writing. It always takes the subjunctive.
Embora ele estude, não passa no teste.
Although he studies, he doesn't pass the test.
Embora seja tarde, ainda vou ligar-te.
Although it's late, I'm still going to call you.
Embora não gostem da ideia, vão aceitar.
Although they don't like the idea, they'll accept it.
Embora tivesse chovido, o jogo continuou.
Although it had rained, the game continued.
Tense-wise: present subjunctive for present/future concessions, imperfect subjunctive for past or counterfactual concessions, pluperfect subjunctive for past hypotheticals layered in time.
Embora estudasse muito, não conseguiu passar.
Although he studied a lot, he didn't manage to pass.
Embora tivesse estudado, não teria passado.
Even if he had studied, he wouldn't have passed.
Ainda que, mesmo que, nem que: flavours of "even if"
These three are near-synonyms of embora but carry slightly different nuances.
Ainda que
Slightly more literary than embora. It leans toward hypothetical or counterfactual concessions.
Ainda que chova, vou sair.
Even if it rains, I'm going out.
Ainda que tivesse tempo, não iria.
Even if I had time, I wouldn't go.
Ainda que ele me pedisse desculpa, não o perdoaria.
Even if he apologised, I wouldn't forgive him.
Mesmo que
Very common in speech. Emphasises the extremity of the hypothetical — even in that case.
Mesmo que chovesse, iríamos à praia.
Even if it were raining, we would go to the beach.
Mesmo que não queiras, tens de ir.
Even if you don't want to, you have to go.
Mesmo que ele me explicasse dez vezes, não percebia.
Even if he explained it to me ten times, I wouldn't understand.
Nem que
Strong, often emphatic, usually followed by an extreme hypothesis. Often translated as even if + emphasis.
Nem que ele me pague, não vou lá.
I won't go, even if he pays me.
Nem que me matem, digo alguma coisa.
Not even if they kill me will I say anything.
Nem que chova a cântaros, saímos esta noite.
Even if it's pouring rain, we're going out tonight.
Chover a cântaros ("rain in jugfuls") is the standard Portuguese idiom for torrential rain — the equivalent of English raining cats and dogs.
Por mais que / por muito que: "however much"
These are used when the concession involves degree or amount. The structure is por mais/muito + adjective/adverb/noun + que + subjunctive.
Por mais que tente, não consigo.
However much I try, I can't do it.
Por muito que estudes, sempre há mais a aprender.
However much you study, there's always more to learn.
Por mais rico que seja, não é feliz.
However rich he may be, he isn't happy.
Por muito difícil que pareça, é possível.
However difficult it may seem, it's possible.
These constructions are beautifully parallel to English however much X or no matter how X. Portuguese prefers these over English no matter how, which has no direct single-word equivalent.
Posto que: watch out for Brazilian/European divergence
This is a classic pitfall. In European Portuguese, posto que means although and takes the subjunctive. In Brazilian Portuguese, posto que usually means since/given that and takes the indicative.
Posto que chova, sairei na mesma.
Although it may rain, I'll go out all the same. (European PT, concessive)
Posto que chove, não sairei.
Since it's raining, I won't go out. (Brazilian PT, causal)
Posto que is formal/literary in European Portuguese. In everyday speech, embora or mesmo que does the same work.
Apesar de: the infinitive concessive
Apesar de means despite or in spite of. It is followed by a noun or an infinitive — never by a finite clause directly.
Apesar da chuva, fomos à praia.
Despite the rain, we went to the beach.
Apesar de estar cansado, continuei a trabalhar.
Despite being tired, I kept on working.
Apesar de terem perdido, jogaram bem.
Despite having lost, they played well.
Notice terem — the personal infinitive marks the subject (they) inside an infinitive clause. This is the go-to structure when the subject of the concession is different from or emphatic about the main clause subject.
Apesar de que + subjunctive
You may occasionally see apesar de que followed by the subjunctive. This is uncommon in European Portuguese and considered awkward by many speakers — apesar de + infinitive or embora + subjunctive are preferred. Be ready to recognise apesar de que but do not produce it as your first choice.
Apesar de que chova, vamos sair.
Although it may rain, we're going to go out. (uncommon in European PT)
Embora chova, vamos sair.
Although it's raining, we're going to go out. (preferred)
Se bem que: mildly formal "although"
Se bem que is a slightly formal conjunction meaning although or granted that. Usage is split: classical grammar requires the subjunctive, but modern speakers often use the indicative, especially when the concession is stated as a fact.
Se bem que seja difícil, vale a pena tentar.
Although it may be difficult, it's worth trying. (formal, subjunctive)
Se bem que é difícil, vale a pena tentar.
Although it is difficult, it's worth trying. (informal/neutral, indicative)
In writing, prefer the subjunctive. In speech, either is fine, and the indicative often feels more natural.
Mesmo se: a rarer indicative concessive
Mesmo se means even if, but unlike mesmo que, it takes the indicative, and it presents the concession as a real possibility rather than a hypothesis.
Mesmo se chove, vamos sair.
Even if it rains, we're going out. (real, open possibility)
Mesmo se ele telefona, eu não atendo.
Even if he calls, I'm not picking up.
Mesmo se is rarer than mesmo que in European Portuguese, and the two are often interchangeable. The difference: mesmo se + indicative treats the obstacle as simply possible (like a conditional se), while mesmo que + subjunctive treats it as a genuine hypothetical to be dismissed.
Concessive structure: gerund and participle
Portuguese also forms concessives with the gerund and the past participle, without a conjunction at all. These are more literary.
Mesmo sabendo o risco, continuou.
Even knowing the risk, he continued.
Mesmo tendo dito isto, não mudamos de opinião.
Even having said this, we don't change our opinion.
And with ainda que + gerund — a compact form:
Ainda sabendo o risco, lá fui.
Even knowing the risk, I went anyway.
Summary table: which conjunction with which mood?
| Conjunction | Follows with | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| embora | subjunctive | most common, all registers |
| ainda que | subjunctive | literary/neutral |
| mesmo que | subjunctive | conversational, emphatic |
| nem que | subjunctive | strong emphasis |
| por mais/muito que | subjunctive | degree concessions |
| posto que | subjunctive (EU PT) / indicative (BR causal) | formal, register-sensitive |
| apesar de | infinitive or noun | preferred with known subject |
| apesar de que | subjunctive | uncommon in EU PT |
| se bem que | subjunctive or indicative | formal — subjunctive preferred in writing |
| mesmo se | indicative | rare; open possibility |
Tense sequences inside concessive clauses
The subjunctive tense in the concessive clause depends on the main-clause tense and the temporal relation.
| Main clause | Concessive clause | Example |
|---|---|---|
| present/future indicative | present subjunctive | Embora esteja cansado, vou. |
| imperfect/preterite indicative | imperfect subjunctive | Embora estivesse cansado, foi. |
| conditional | imperfect subjunctive | Embora estivesse cansado, iria. |
| pluperfect indicative | pluperfect subjunctive | Embora tivesse chovido, tinha ido. |
Embora saiba a resposta, não vou dizer.
Although I know the answer, I'm not going to say it.
Embora soubesse a resposta, não disse nada.
Although I knew the answer, I didn't say anything.
Embora tivesse sabido, não teria dito nada.
Even if I had known, I wouldn't have said anything.
Comparison with English and Spanish
English freely uses although with the indicative: although he is tired... although he knew... Portuguese demands a different mood because the concession is framed as entertained rather than asserted. English speakers regularly produce the ungrammatical embora ele está cansado instead of embora ele esteja cansado.
Spanish is very close to Portuguese here. Aunque is roughly parallel to embora and ainda que, and it takes the subjunctive in concessive senses. The main difference: Spanish aunque also accepts the indicative when the concession is presented as asserted fact, while European Portuguese strongly prefers the subjunctive even then.
Common Mistakes
❌ Embora ele está cansado, vai sair.
Incorrect — embora requires the subjunctive
✅ Embora ele esteja cansado, vai sair.
Although he's tired, he's going out.
❌ Apesar que chove, vamos à praia.
Incorrect — apesar needs de, and the finite que-clause is awkward in EU PT
✅ Apesar de chover, vamos à praia.
Despite the rain, we're going to the beach.
✅ Embora chova, vamos à praia.
Although it's raining, we're going to the beach.
❌ Mesmo que ele não quer, tem de ir.
Incorrect — mesmo que requires the subjunctive
✅ Mesmo que ele não queira, tem de ir.
Even if he doesn't want to, he has to go.
❌ Por mais que tento, não consigo.
Incorrect — por mais que requires the subjunctive, not the indicative
✅ Por mais que tente, não consigo.
However much I try, I can't.
❌ Apesar de ele estava cansado, trabalhou.
Incorrect — apesar de takes an infinitive, not a finite verb
✅ Apesar de estar cansado, trabalhou.
Despite being tired, he worked.
✅ Apesar de ele estar cansado, trabalhou.
Despite him being tired, he worked. (with overt subject, personal infinitive)
Key Takeaways
- Most concessive conjunctions take the subjunctive: embora, ainda que, mesmo que, nem que, por mais/muito que, posto que (in EU PT).
- Apesar de takes a noun or infinitive, not a finite clause. With an explicit subject, use the personal infinitive.
- Se bem que and apesar de que are formal and less common in European Portuguese.
- Mesmo se takes the indicative — it frames the obstacle as open, not hypothetical.
- Tense sequence: present subjunctive pairs with present/future indicative, imperfect subjunctive pairs with imperfect/preterite/conditional.
- English speakers must override the habit of using the indicative after embora — the subjunctive is obligatory.
- Posto que means although in EU PT (subjunctive) but since/because in Brazilian Portuguese (indicative) — be register-aware.
Related Topics
- Conjunctions That Trigger the Subjunctive (Para que, Embora, Sem que)B1 — The conjunctions that always, sometimes, or never trigger the present subjunctive in European Portuguese — organized by meaning.
- Subjunctive Mood OverviewB1 — What the conjuntivo is in European Portuguese, why it exists, and when the language requires it — a tour of irrealis across the present, imperfect, and future subjunctive
- Imperfect Subjunctive OverviewB1 — What the imperfeito do conjuntivo is, how it is built from the preterite stem, and the five families of sentences — hypotheticals, past wishes, politeness, sequence of tenses, and past conjunctions — that call for it.
- Personal Infinitive After PrepositionsB1 — The most common use of the infinitivo pessoal: after para, sem, antes de, depois de, até, and ao. Full examples of each, plus clitic placement with pronominal verbs.
- Causal Clauses (Porque, Como, Já Que, Visto Que)A2 — How Portuguese expresses cause and reason — porque, como, já que, visto que, uma vez que, dado que — and the crucial distinction between porque, por que, and porquê.
- Purpose Clauses (Para Que, A Fim De Que)B1 — Saying 'in order to / so that' in Portuguese — the split between finite (subjunctive) and non-finite (infinitive) purpose clauses.