Ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena, combino sessões regulares com a terapeuta.

Even though I am not in quarantine, I schedule regular sessions with the therapist.

Breakdown of Ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena, combino sessões regulares com a terapeuta.

• eu: I
• estar: to be
• em: in
• com: with
• não: not
• regular: regular
• a sessão: the session
• ainda que: even though
• a quarentena: the quarantine
• combinar: to schedule
• a terapeuta: the therapist

Questions & Answers about Ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena, combino sessões regulares com a terapeuta.

What does ainda que mean, and how is it different from embora or apesar de?

Ainda que is a conjunction meaning roughly “even though / even if / although”. It introduces a contrast or concession.

• ainda que = even though / even if
• embora = although / even though
• apesar de = despite / in spite of

All three introduce something that goes against what you might expect.

Differences:

• ainda que and embora both take the subjunctive and are very similar in meaning.
• apesar de is followed by:
  • a noun/gerund:
    
    • apesar de não estar em quarentena (despite not being in quarantine)
  • or apesar de que
    • subjunctive (more formal / less common in speech):
      
      • apesar de que eu não esteja em quarentena

In everyday European Portuguese, embora is more frequent than ainda que, which can sound a bit more formal or literary. But grammatically they work the same here.

Why is it eu não esteja and not eu não estou?

Because ainda que triggers the subjunctive mood in Portuguese.

• estou = present indicative (simple fact: I am)
• esteja = present subjunctive (used after certain conjunctions: although I am / even if I am)

Conjunctions like ainda que, embora, mesmo que normally require the subjunctive, because they introduce something that is:

• contrary to expectation,
• hypothetical, or
• being presented as a concession.

So:

• Ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena, combino sessões…
  = Even though I’m not in quarantine, I (still) arrange regular sessions…

Using estou here would sound grammatically wrong to a native speaker.

Do I always need the subjunctive after ainda que?

Yes, with ainda que you should use the subjunctive.

Typical patterns:

• Present / future context:

  • Ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena, combino sessões.
    (Even though I’m not / may not be in quarantine…)

• Past / more hypothetical context (imperfect subjunctive):

  • Ainda que eu não estivesse em quarentena, combinava sessões.
    (Even if I wasn’t in quarantine, I would arrange sessions.)

So the tense of the subjunctive changes, but the mood (subjunctive) stays the same after ainda que.

Could I say Mesmo que eu não esteja em quarentena or Embora eu não esteja em quarentena instead? Are they equivalent?

Yes, both are natural:

• Mesmo que eu não esteja em quarentena…
• Embora eu não esteja em quarentena…

All three—ainda que, mesmo que, embora—can introduce this kind of concessive idea, and all take the subjunctive.

Nuance / usage in European Portuguese:

• embora: very common and neutral in speech and writing.
• mesmo que: common, slightly more “spoken”, often used when stressing even if.
• ainda que: correct but can sound a bit more formal or literary in everyday speech.

In practice, you could safely use embora or mesmo que in most situations.

Why is there a comma after the ainda que clause?

The comma separates the subordinate clause from the main clause.

Word order here is:

• Subordinate concessive clause: Ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena,
• Main clause: combino sessões regulares com a terapeuta.

When a subordinate clause comes before the main clause in Portuguese, it is normally followed by a comma. If you invert the order, the comma usually disappears:

• Combino sessões regulares com a terapeuta ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena.

Why is it em quarentena and not na quarentena?

Em quarentena means “in quarantine” as a state or condition, without specifying a particular quarantine.

• estar em quarentena = to be in quarantine (generally)
  
  • Eu não estou em quarentena. (I’m not in quarantine.)

Na quarentena (em + a) would usually sound like you’re referring to a specific quarantine already identified in the context, or in Brazilian Portuguese it can also mean “in your forties (age)”. In this sentence, we just mean the condition of being in quarantine, so em quarentena is the natural choice.

You might also hear de quarentena in some contexts, but em quarentena is the standard for the general state.

What exactly does combino sessões regulares mean? Is it like “I combine regular sessions”?

No—here combinar does not mean “to combine/mix”. In European Portuguese, combinar very often means:

• to arrange / to set up / to agree on (an appointment, meeting, plan)

So:

• combinar sessões regulares (com alguém)
  = to arrange regular sessions (with someone)

Closer English equivalents here are:

• I schedule regular sessions
• I arrange regular sessions
• I set up regular sessions

So the sentence means: “Even though I’m not in quarantine, I arrange regular sessions with the therapist.”

Could I use marcar or agendar instead of combinar?

Yes, but with slightly different nuances:

• marcar sessões regulares (com a terapeuta)
  
  • Very common and neutral: to schedule / to book sessions
• agendar sessões regulares
  
  • More formal or “office-like”, often used with specific times in calendars: to put in someone’s schedule
• combinar sessões regulares (com a terapeuta)
  
  • Emphasizes the agreement between you and the therapist (you agree together on having regular sessions).

All are understandable. For therapy, in European Portuguese:

• marcar consultas / marcar sessões
  and
• combinar sessões regulares

are both very natural.

Does combinar need to be reflexive, like combinar-se, in this context?

No. The natural construction is:

• combinar [algo] com [alguém]
  
  • Combino sessões regulares com a terapeuta.
    (I arrange regular sessions with the therapist.)

Combinar-se exists, but it’s used differently, for example:

• Isto não se combina bem. (This doesn’t go well together. – about colors, clothes, flavors etc.)
• Or sometimes reflexively in other idiomatic uses.

For appointments, plans, meetings, use non‑reflexive combinar algo com alguém.

Why is it com a terapeuta and not just com terapeuta or com a minha terapeuta?

In European Portuguese, using the definite article with a profession can indicate:

• It’s a specific, known person in the context.

So:

• com a terapeuta
  = with the therapist (the one we both know I see regularly)

Alternatives and nuances:

• com terapeuta
  
  • Without an article sounds incomplete here; you’d usually need something like com uma terapeuta (with a therapist – any therapist, not specific).
• com a minha terapeuta
  
  • Also correct; this emphasizes my therapist (possessive).
  • In European Portuguese, you often still keep the article: a minha terapeuta, not just minha terapeuta.

So com a terapeuta is a natural way to refer to the therapist you usually see, already identified in the shared context.

Why is terapeuta feminine here? Would it be o terapeuta for a male therapist?

Yes. Terapeuta is a common‑gender noun: the form stays the same; the article shows the gender:

• a terapeuta = the female therapist
• o terapeuta = the male therapist

So:

• Combino sessões regulares com a terapeuta.
  = I arrange sessions with my female therapist.

If the therapist were a man, you’d say:

• Combino sessões regulares com o terapeuta.

Is the word order fixed, or can I put the ainda que clause at the end?

You can change the order:

• Original:
  
  • Ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena, combino sessões regulares com a terapeuta.
• Alternative:
  
  • Combino sessões regulares com a terapeuta, ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena.

Both are correct. The meaning is the same. The version with ainda que at the beginning slightly emphasizes the contrast first; the version at the end sounds a bit more like an afterthought or extra comment, but the difference is subtle.

Could I change the tenses, like Estou a combinar sessões regulares or Ainda que eu não estivesse em quarentena? How would that change the meaning?

Yes, you can, and each change affects the nuance:

1. Present progressive (European Portuguese):

   • Ainda que eu não esteja em quarentena, estou a combinar sessões regulares com a terapeuta.
   • Focuses on something you’re doing right now / around this time: I’m in the process of arranging regular sessions.

2. Imperfect subjunctive for a more hypothetical or past situation:

   • Ainda que eu não estivesse em quarentena, combinava sessões regulares com a terapeuta.
   • Could mean:
     • Even if I weren’t in quarantine, I would arrange regular sessions. (hypothetical)
     • Or, in some contexts, a past habitual meaning: Even when I wasn’t in quarantine, I used to arrange regular sessions.

The original combino (present indicative) expresses a habitual or general fact:

• Even though I’m not in quarantine, I (as a rule) arrange regular sessions.