Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Às vezes parece impossível; ainda assim, no fundo eu acredito que vou conseguir. - Sometimes it seems impossible; even so, deep down I believe I will manage it.

Literal structure:
- a (preposition to/at) + as (feminine plural article the) → às (with grave accent)
- vezes = times
  → Literally: “at the times”, idiomatically “sometimes”.
Why the grave accent (à):
In Portuguese, à(s) often shows a contraction of a + a(s). Here:
- a (preposition) + as (article) → às.
Why the s:
Because vezes is plural (times), the article as is also plural → às vezes.
Is as vezes (without the accent) correct?
Not in this meaning.
- Às vezes (with accent) = sometimes (idiomatic expression).
- As vezes (no accent) would mean literally the times, as the subject/object in a sentence, and sounds odd in this context.

So, if you want to say sometimes, always write Às vezes (with the accent).

Why is there no subject before parece? Shouldn’t it be something like isso parece impossível?

Here, parece is being used impersonally, similar to English “it seems” when it doesn’t refer to anything concrete.

In Portuguese, you can say:
- Parece impossível. = It seems impossible.
  (no explicit subject; the structure itself is impersonal)
- Isso parece impossível. = That seems impossible.
  Here isso refers to something already mentioned.

In your sentence, the idea is more general:
Às vezes parece impossível = Sometimes it feels/seems impossible (in general).

Using parece without a subject is very natural and common in Portuguese in such abstract or general statements.

Why is there a semicolon (;) instead of just a comma? Does it change the meaning?

The semicolon here separates two clauses that are:

Closely related in meaning, but
Strong enough to stand as separate sentences.

Your sentence:

Às vezes parece impossível; ainda assim, no fundo eu acredito que vou conseguir.
→ Two complete thoughts:
1. Sometimes it seems impossible.
2. Even so, deep down I believe I will make it.

The semicolon:

Shows a stronger separation than a comma,
But a closer connection than a full stop.

You could write two sentences instead:

Às vezes parece impossível. Ainda assim, no fundo eu acredito que vou conseguir.

Using a comma instead of a semicolon (… impossível, ainda assim, …) is less standard and can feel a bit cluttered. The semicolon is stylistically cleaner. The meaning doesn’t fundamentally change, but the punctuation improves clarity.

What exactly does ainda assim mean? Is it the same as mesmo assim?

Ainda assim is an adverbial phrase meaning even so, nevertheless, or nonetheless.

In the sentence:
… parece impossível; ainda assim, no fundo eu acredito…
→ … it seems impossible; *even so, deep down I believe…*

Ainda assim vs mesmo assim:

In European Portuguese:
- Ainda assim and mesmo assim are very close in meaning and often interchangeable.
- Ainda assim can feel slightly more formal or written.
- Mesmo assim feels a bit more colloquial/spoken.

Examples:

Está difícil; ainda assim, não vou desistir.
Está difícil; mesmo assim, não vou desistir.

Both: It’s hard; even so, I won’t give up.

What does no fundo mean here? Does it literally mean “at the bottom”?

Literally, no fundo = in/at the bottom (of something).

fundo = bottom, depth.
Example literal use:
- no fundo do mar = at the bottom of the sea

In your sentence, it is figurative:

no fundo eu acredito… = deep down I believe…

Figurative meaning of no fundo:

deep down (emotionally, in your heart)
ultimately / when you get to the core of it

So here it expresses an inner, underlying conviction despite appearances.

Is the word order no fundo eu acredito fixed, or could I say eu acredito no fundo?

Both orders are grammatically possible, but they don’t sound the same.

No fundo eu acredito…
- Very natural and idiomatic.
- Emphasis on no fundo (deep down):
  → Deep down, I believe…
Eu acredito no fundo…
- Grammatically correct, but sounds odd in this context.
- It’s more likely to be interpreted literally, like:
  - I believe in the bottom (of something)
- Without further context (e.g. eu acredito no fundo do meu coração), it’s ambiguous or strange.

For the figurative meaning “deep down I believe”, the natural placement is:

No fundo, eu acredito que…

Why is eu written explicitly in eu acredito? Isn’t the subject clear from the verb ending?

Yes, the subject is clear from the verb:

acredito can only be I believe (eu acredito).

In Portuguese, subject pronouns (eu, tu, ele…) are often dropped because verb endings show who the subject is. But they are included when:

You want to emphasize the subject:
→ I, personally, believe…
You want to contrast subjects:
→ Eu acredito, mas ele não. (I believe, but he doesn’t.)

In your sentence:

… no fundo eu acredito que vou conseguir.
- The explicit eu gives a slight personal emphasis:
  → deep down, *I believe I will make it.*

You could say no fundo acredito que vou conseguir and it would still be correct and natural—just a bit less personally highlighted.

How does vou conseguir work grammatically? Is it a future tense?

Yes, vou conseguir expresses a future meaning.

Structure:

vou = 1st person singular of ir (to go)
conseguir = infinitive (to manage / to succeed / to achieve)

So vou conseguir literally is “I am going to manage / succeed”, and functions as a periphrastic future, like English “I’m going to succeed”.

In Portuguese you have two main ways to express the future:

Periphrastic future: ir + infinitive
- Vou conseguir.
- Very common in speech and informal writing.
- Often feels more immediate / personal.
Simple future (synthetic): conseguirei
- More formal, more common in writing, speeches, etc.
- In everyday European Portuguese conversation, you’ll hear vou conseguir much more than conseguirei.

So vou conseguir is perfectly natural and the most typical choice here.

Could vou conseguir be translated as “I can do it” or “I will be able to do it”? What nuance does conseguir add?

Conseguir means:

to manage (to do something)
to succeed
to achieve / obtain

So vou conseguir can be translated depending on context as:

I’m going to manage (it).
I’m going to succeed.
I will be able to do it.
I will make it.

Compared to simply poder (can / to be able to):

Vou poder = I will be allowed / I will be able (in terms of possibility/permission).
Vou conseguir = I will *succeed, I’ll manage to pull it off.*

In your sentence, vou conseguir carries a nuance of overcoming difficulty and succeeding, which fits the contrast with parece impossível (it seems impossible).

Why is impossível not changing form? Shouldn’t adjectives agree in gender and number?

Yes, most adjectives in Portuguese change form for gender and number, but:

Adjectives ending in -vel / -ível (like possível, impossível, incrível) are usually invariable in gender:
- um objetivo impossível (masc. sing.)
- uma tarefa impossível (fem. sing.)
- objetivos impossíveis (masc. plural)
- tarefas impossíveis (fem. plural)

So:

Gender: same form for masculine and feminine.
Number: adds -s in the plural.

In your sentence:

The implied idea is something like isso é impossível (singular).
So impossível stays in its singular form, which is correct.

Could I say Às vezes é impossível instead of Às vezes parece impossível? Is there a difference?

You could say Às vezes é impossível, and it is grammatically correct, but it’s stronger in meaning:

Às vezes é impossível.
→ Sometimes it *is impossible.* (statement of fact)
Às vezes parece impossível.
→ Sometimes it *seems/feels impossible.* (perception/feeling, not necessarily fact)

In this context, where the second part says:

… no fundo eu acredito que vou conseguir (deep down I believe I’ll make it),

using parece makes sense: it acknowledges that it feels impossible, but deep down the speaker knows it actually is possible.

Is this sentence specifically European Portuguese, or would it also be natural in Brazilian Portuguese?

The sentence is perfectly understandable and natural in both European and Brazilian Portuguese.

Às vezes parece impossível; ainda assim, no fundo eu acredito que vou conseguir.

Very minor notes:

ainda assim is used in both varieties, though in spoken Brazilian Portuguese you might more often hear mesmo assim.
Verb forms, vocabulary, and word order here are fully standard and shared across both varieties.

So this sentence is not marked as “Portugal-only” or “Brazil-only”; it’s simply good, neutral Portuguese.