Apesar de a letra ser triste, a melodia parece alegre.

Although the lyrics are sad, the melody seems cheerful.

Breakdown of Apesar de a letra ser triste, a melodia parece alegre.

• ser: to be
• triste: sad
• parecer: to seem
• a melodia: the melody
• apesar de: although
• a letra: the lyrics
• alegre: cheerful

Questions & Answers about Apesar de a letra ser triste, a melodia parece alegre.

Why is it apesar de a letra ser and not apesar da letra ser?

Because de and a belong to different things here:

• apesar de is a fixed preposition meaning despite / in spite of.
• a letra is a separate noun phrase (the lyrics), which is the subject of ser triste.

So we keep de separate from the article a to show that de goes with apesar, not with letra.

That is why in careful European Portuguese you see:

• Apesar de a letra ser triste, …

and not

• *Apesar da letra ser triste, … (contraction of de + a).

So is apesar da letra ser triste actually wrong?

In formal, standard European Portuguese, it is usually considered non‑standard or at least less correct in writing.

You will hear people say:

• Apesar da letra ser triste, …

in everyday speech, and most native speakers will accept it in conversation.

But grammars and style guides tend to prefer:

• Apesar de a letra ser triste, …

especially in writing, to keep de clearly attached to apesar de, not to letra.

Could I also say apesar de a letra ser triste using a pronoun, like ele/ela?

Yes, and the same rule applies: no contraction.

For example:

• Apesar de ela ser triste, a letra combina bem com a música.
• Apesar de ele ser muito simples, o refrão fica na cabeça.

Forms like apesar dela ser triste or apesar dele ser simples are very common in speech but are usually marked as less formal.

Why is it ser triste and not estar triste?

Ser and estar work much like to be for essential vs temporary properties.

• ser triste = describes something as inherently / characteristically sad.
• estar triste = describes a temporary state (someone is sad now).

Lyrics are being described as having a sad character in general, not as temporarily feeling sad, so a letra ser triste is natural:

• A letra é triste. → permanent characteristic
• Hoje estou triste. → temporary mood

Why is the verb after apesar de in the infinitive (ser) and not in the subjunctive (seja) or indicative (é)?

With apesar de, Portuguese often uses the infinitive:

• Apesar de ser tarde, vou sair.
• Apesar de a letra ser triste, a melodia parece alegre.

This structure is very common and sounds natural and neutral.

If you want a finite clause, you normally switch to apesar de que (less common in European Portuguese):

• Apesar de que a letra seja triste, a melodia parece alegre.

Using apesar de que a letra é triste is possible but much less usual and often avoided in careful language. So, in everyday EP, apesar de + infinitive is the most comfortable choice.

Can I say Apesar de que a letra seja triste, a melodia parece alegre instead?

You can, but:

• In European Portuguese, apesar de que is less common in speech.
• When it is used, it normally takes the subjunctive:
  Apesar de que a letra seja triste, a melodia parece alegre.

Meaning-wise it is very close. Many speakers simply find apesar de a letra ser triste more natural and smoother, especially in spoken EP.

Can I change the order of the two parts of the sentence?

Yes. Both orders are correct:

• Apesar de a letra ser triste, a melodia parece alegre.
• A melodia parece alegre, apesar de a letra ser triste.

The meaning is the same. Starting with apesar de… slightly emphasises the contrast from the beginning; putting it at the end sounds a bit more neutral or conversational.

Why do you use letra here? Does it mean letter or lyrics?

In this context:

• a letra = the lyrics of a song (the words/text that are sung).

Examples:

• Gosto da letra desta canção. → I like this song’s lyrics.
• A letra é muito poética. → The lyrics are very poetic.

letra can also mean letter (of the alphabet or handwriting), but with music it almost always means lyrics. The word for the whole song is canção or música.

Why is it a melodia parece alegre and not a melodia é alegre?

• parecer = to seem / to sound / to look.
• ser = to be (a more direct, objective statement).

Here, using parece adds the idea that this is how it comes across to the listener, not necessarily an absolute fact:

• A melodia é alegre. → It is cheerful (more categorical).
• A melodia parece alegre. → It seems/sounds cheerful (subjective impression).

When talking about art, music, etc., parecer is very common because we often describe our perception.

Why do adjectives like triste and alegre come after the nouns (letra, melodia)?

In Portuguese, the default position for descriptive adjectives is after the noun:

• a letra triste → the sad lyrics
• a melodia alegre → the cheerful melody

You can place some adjectives before the noun, but that often adds a nuance (more subjective, emphatic, or figurative):

• a triste letra → the sad lyrics, with more emotional colouring or emphasis
• a alegre melodia → a cheerful melody, a bit more literary / poetic

In your sentence, the neutral, descriptive order (noun + adjective) is used.

Why is there a comma after triste?

Because Apesar de a letra ser triste, a melodia parece alegre has two clauses:

1. Apesar de a letra ser triste → concessive subordinate clause
2. a melodia parece alegre → main clause

In Portuguese, when a subordinate clause like this comes before the main clause, you normally separate them with a comma:

• Quando cheguei, ele saiu.
• Embora esteja cansado, vou trabalhar.
• Apesar de a letra ser triste, a melodia parece alegre.

Could I say embora a letra seja triste, a melodia parece alegre instead of apesar de a letra ser triste?

Yes. That is a very natural alternative:

• Embora a letra seja triste, a melodia parece alegre.

Here:

• embora functions like although / even though.
• It usually takes the subjunctive (seja).

The nuance:

• apesar de + infinitive and embora + subjunctive are both common ways to express contrast.
• embora is a bit more formal or bookish; apesar de is very frequent in everyday speech and writing.