Mesmo com o calor, o Pedro quer correr ao meio-dia.

Even with the heat, Pedro wants to run at noon.

Breakdown of Mesmo com o calor, o Pedro quer correr ao meio-dia.

• Pedro: Pedro
• querer: to want
• com: with
• correr: to run
• mesmo: even
• o calor: the heat
• o meio-dia: the noon

Questions & Answers about Mesmo com o calor, o Pedro quer correr ao meio-dia.

What does mesmo com o calor mean and how does mesmo com work here?

Mesmo com literally means “even with” or “despite.” It introduces a concession (something that doesn’t stop the main action). Structure: mesmo com + [noun]. Here o calor (“the heat”) is the condition that Pedro is overlooking. You could paraphrase as apesar do calor (“despite the heat”).

Why is there an o before Pedro?

In European Portuguese it’s common to use the definite article before people’s names: o Pedro, a Maria. It’s a regional feature (especially in Portugal). Omitting the article is also understood (Pedro quer correr...), but including it is more natural in many parts of Portugal.

Why do we say ao meio-dia and not à meio-dia or no meio-dia?

Meio-dia is masculine, so the preposition a + the definite article o contract to ao (a + o → ao).
– à would be a + a (for feminine nouns).
– no is em + o, which means “in the/noon,” but for “at noon” we prefer ao meio-dia.

Why is quer (present tense) used instead of a future tense like quererá or vai querer?

Portuguese often uses the simple present to talk about planned or scheduled future events. O Pedro quer correr ao meio-dia can mean “Pedro plans to run at noon.” You could also say O Pedro vai correr ao meio-dia, but the present is more concise and very common in speech.

Can we drop the article in com o calor and just say mesmo com calor?

Yes. Both mesmo com o calor and mesmo com calor are possible. With o you refer to “the specific heat” you’re experiencing; without it it’s more general (“even with heat in general”). Neither is wrong.

Could the concessive phrase appear at the end of the sentence instead?

Absolutely. Word order is flexible in Portuguese. You could say:
  O Pedro quer correr ao meio-dia mesmo com o calor.
Placing mesmo com o calor at the end often feels more conversational.

What’s the difference between mesmo com o calor and apesar do calor?

They’re near synonyms:

• mesmo com o calor = colloquial “even with the heat”
• apesar do calor = slightly more formal “despite the heat”
  Grammar-wise apesar de + o contracts to apesar do. Semantically they both express concession; the choice is stylistic.